. . . buy a digital instant-read thermometer. You will never
over- or undercook a piece of meat again. Do it. No more
excuses, no more timing charts or poking with your fingers.
Just buy a good thermometer, and don’t look back. I
guarantee you will not regret it.

With that out of the way, on to the introduction.

For most Americans (and many others around the world),

a roast is part and parcel with holiday meals. What would
Thanksgiving be without its golden brown crisp-skinned
centerpiece, or Christmas without its rosy-centered prime rib
or shiny glazed ham?
But roasts aren’t just for the holidays. I can think of no
better way to feed a large group of people when you’ve got
a bit of time and want to pull it off with minimal fuss. For
the most part, roasting requires only a simple set-it-and-
forget-it approach, or at least a set-it-and-check-with-a-
digital-thermometer-occasionally approach, allowing you
plenty of free time to throw back a cocktail with your
guests, or, if you’re like me, focus on side dishes while
avoiding unnecessary social contact.
But roasts frighten many people, and, to a certain degree,
rightfully so. We’ve all been exposed to far too many dry
turkey breasts, overcooked standing rib roasts, and stringy
chickens than we care to recall (yes, I’m looking at you,
Mom). But it doesn’t have to be that way! Roasting is, in
fact, quite simple and nearly foolproof. All it takes is a bit of