Meat and vegetables in one dish

 

This recipe can be used with most meat cuts between one and two kg and a plate full of root vegetables of about the same weight. The general idea is to be as simple as possible with minimal preparation as possible. A large oven bag is used along with a round shallow glass microwave proof dish, approximately 30 cm diameter in a microwave oven.

Various types of herb and spice mixtures are available to allow you to season the meat and vegetables to taste or by region, like 'Tuscany' or 'Moroccan' etcetera. You can reduce salt content with premixed seasoning or by using 'Lite salt'. Most meat can be seasoned just before cooking, but pork must be dried with skin well salted and kept overnight covered in a paper towel. If you are marinating the meat marinade and keep overnight.
To save effort buy your vegetables prewashed, we generally use potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes with an onion/garlic for extra flavour. The onion/garlic will disintegrate during the cooking process.
Caution
This recipe produces hot fat and scalding steam. Wear a cooking apron and use oven gloves when removing hot items from the ovens. The best gloves are silicon rubber gloves as they are water and hot oil proof.
When preparing food wear food preparation gloves, this protects your hands as well as the food.
Method
    1. Remove meat from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. We use a meat thermometer to ensure the centre of the meat is not cold.
    2. Wash the vegetables and chop into large chunks. Sweet potatoes may need peeling. Our family likes the potato skins left on, but remove the large eyes.
    3. Place the vegetables in a glass bowl and spray with olive oil. Sprinkle with your chosen season and use your fingers to tumble the vegetables until all pieces are seasoned. Use food preparation gloves to protect your hands.
    4. Season the meat, keep the salted pork dry, and spray with olive oil.
    5. Take a large oven bag and sprinkle a teaspoon of flour inside. Shake well to cover all inside surfaces,
    6. Place the bag in the round glass dish and add the vegetables.
    7. Place the meat on top of the vegetables.
    8. Secure the top of the bag with butcher's string and make a small incision in the bag to stop the bag from popping.
    9. Place in the microwave and cook at 1000 w for 10 minutes.
    10. Reduce the microwave to 300 W and cook for about 60 minutes.
    11. Remove package from oven using oven gloves
    12. Open the oven bag, keep your hand away from the steam vent.
    13. Prepare enough aluminium foil to fully cover the meat.
    14. Carefully expose the meat and extract it from the bag using a pair of forks.
    15. Cover the meat with the foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes or more as convenient.
    16. Spoon out the vegetables and place in the bowl that was originally used, cover in cling wrap and put on one side for later.
    17. Wear oven gloves and pour the liquid from the oven bag into a jug. This can be used to make mushroom sauce or gravy later.
    18. If the meat is pork remove the string and gently remove the skin to make the crackling.
    19. Carve meat when the meat is cool and arrange on a small ceramic plate. Cover with a medium freezer bag. Store for later.
    20. If the meat is pork, cut the skin into pieces and place in a microwave safe dish, Cover in paper towels and microwave at 1000 W for a few minutes. try doing a minute at a time. You should get perfect crackling.
Reheat in the microwave before serving and use a side dish of Yorkshire pudding, mushroom sauce, green vegetables to taste.

Enjoy