Although it can be consumed throughout the week, it is traditionally consumed on Sunday. It consists of roasted meat, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and condiments such as apple sauce, mint sauce, or redcurrant sauce.
The dish is made up of succulent meat with gravy (or nowadays there are vegetarian options), roasted potatoes, vegetables such as peas, carrots, parsnips, and Yorkshire Pudding (keep reading to find out what that is!). Like all traditional British food it's a big hearty meal. It's our alternative to a Sunday Brunch.
The British origins of the Sunday roast
His Yeomen Warders – the royal guard – would eat fresh roasted beef every Sunday after church, and it's suggested that this became such a ritual that the guards were affectionately referred to as "beefeaters".
The weekly Sunday roast is a British tradition, brought by colonists to Australia in the late 18th century; it was common practice to put a roast to cook before leaving for church, come back home to a hearty meal, and extend the leftovers through the week that followed.
Beef was the nation's favourite roast dinner meat, with nearly two fifths (39%) of the votes, followed by Ham and Chicken, both of which were selected by 21% of respondents.
It consists of roasted meat, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and condiments such as apple sauce, mint sauce, or redcurrant sauce.
Traditionally, the Sunday roast comprises beef, veggies and Yorkshire puds. So if you're a bastion of proper roast rules, it's worth trying our magnificent silverside of beef with French onion gravy.
The Australian Christmas feast has evolved over the years – many still enjoy a traditional turkey roast dinner, but warm weather favourites like seafood, ice-cream and tropical fruits now appear on most festive menus.
Many social commentators believe the drive to eat more lamb came from the excess production of sheep's wool for export, notably to China and Turkey.
The British have always enjoyed eating beef. So much so that, since the 15th century, the royal guards have been known as Beefeaters. The tradition of eating roast beef on a Sunday was established during the reign of King Henry VII, who seized the crown in 1485 and ruled until his death in 1509.
This is what the UK's ultimate roast dinner consists of:
Beef reigns supreme as our favourite roast dinner centrepiece with 37% of respondents naming the beef their favourite. Lamb took second place with 28% followed by chicken with 14%.
Topside, silverside and top rump
These three prime cuts are all fantastic for roasting, as they are very tender and can be carved into large lean slices.
A Christmas feast
Most Aussies choose to swap the traditional roast turkey for a Christmas ham, and fresh seafood (specifically prawns) takes pride of place on many festive banquets. It makes sense that Australians opt for a light and refreshing dessert option to end their Christmas feast.
For Australians, their big holiday meal is the Christmas lunch. Some families prepare a Christmas ham and rich plum pudding, while others prefer to celebrate outside and cook prawns on the barbecue.
A roast dinner is essentially a scaled-down version of a Christmas Dinner. Although some people do like to include a lot of the extras that can also be found on the Christmas dinner table including stuffing, sausage meat, pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce.
Many types of beef roasts are available for different uses. Some of the most well-known kinds include the chuck roast, prime rib roast, and top round roast. Bottom round roast, coulotte roast, and beef brisket are additional types of beef roasts.
English cut roasts are cut from the hind end of the chuck and into the first few ribs. English cut roasts are great for a pot roast.
The latest survey from YouGov has revealed that the most popular meat to serve with a roast dinner is beef, with 33% of us cooking up a joint on a regular basis.
The 4 Types of Coffee Roasts
Roasts are categorized into four major categories: light roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast, and dark roast. Within each major type there are a number of minor variations. Let's take a closer look at each.
The Rib-Eye Roast is the boneless center cut of the rib section. Very well-marbled, tender and flavorful, it is the most desirable and the most expensive of the roasts.
The best cuts of beef for roasting are the eye fillet, rib eye (on the bone or boneless fillet), sirloin or rump. When choosing your beef cut in store, look out for: A moderate covering of fat on cuts such as sirloin or rump – which will add delicious flavour and prevent the meat from drying out during cooking.