Julie Giuffrida is Test Kitchen coordinator for the Los Angeles Times.
Not feeding 25 this year? Serve a smaller roast. Something on this list will surely feed your yen.
With or without a crowd, a roast is a great centerpiece for a meal, if for no other reason than roasts are easy. Throw the meat in the oven and you don’t have to think about it for a while. You can turn your attention to side dishes, desserts and setting the table, or leave the kitchen altogether and take a shower or catch an episode of “The Queen’s Gambit” or “The Crown.” With the right size roast, once you’ve shut that oven door, you are free for a good two hours, often more, to do whatever is on your list.
If you are looking for as easy as it gets, you can do as my mother did. A purist, she seasoned our roasts with salt and pepper and let the flavor of the meat shine. No sauce, no gravy — just the jus from the pan and the moat of the carving board. Toss in some potatoes and a few other vegetables and the bulk of your meal takes care of itself. (You can then focus on dessert!)
Since you are not my mother, you may want to dress it up a bit, say with a glaze or a sauce or a coating of herbs, seasoned breadcrumbs or chopped nuts for additional texture and flavor. Whether you favor beef or pork (or duck or fish or poultry or cauliflower), this list is full of showstoppers, many of which you can set and forget.
Rib roast with tapenade
Time2 hours 30 minutes
YieldsServes 8
Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Spicy Tahini Sauce
Time1 hour 30 minutes, largely unattended
YieldsServes 2 to 4
Spiced crown pork roast with glazed root vegetables
Time3 hours 40 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
The ultimate turkey
Time3 hours
YieldsServes 11 to 15
Winter roast pork with basil pomegranate sauce
Time2 hours
YieldsServes 10 to 12
Leg of lamb stuffed with greens, feta and pine nuts
Time3 hours
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Crackling Roast Pork Shoulder With Fennel and Chile
Time14 to 16 hours
YieldsServes 8 to 10
Pot Roast With Onion Marmalade
Time2 hours 30 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Slow-Roasted Salmon a la Brisket
Time45 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Bacon-wrapped pork loin with roasted apples
Time1 hour 15 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Rack of lamb with mint gremolata crust
Time55 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Roast tenderloin of beef with horseradish creme fraiche
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 8 to 12
Slow-Roasted Salmon with Al Pastor Rub
Time45 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Turducken
TimeTotal time: 2 to 4 hours, plus 6 to 7 hours roasting time (timing will vary depending on how quickly the birds are boned)
YieldsServes 25 to 30
Roasted or grilled fillet of beef with black pepper
Time25 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Time35 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Game Hens Stuffed With Kale, Walnuts and Cranberries
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Crown roast of pork stuffed with wild rice and dried fruit
Time3 hours 30 minutes
YieldsServes 12
Roast lamb with fresh mint sauce
Time2 hours
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Roast duck with seared prawns
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Pistachio-crusted beef tenderloin
Time1 hour 45 minutes
YieldsServes 8 to 10
Roast pork loin with red currants
Time1 hour 35 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Chinese beef brisket
Time3 hours
YieldsServes 6
Roast Lamb With Fresh Peas and Turnips
Time4 hours 30 minutes
YieldsServes 6
Slow-Roasted Salmon with Miso Barbecue Sauce
Time45 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Pork tenderloin roasted in rosemary salt with fingerling potatoes
Time50 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Vertically-roasted duck
Time1 hour 45 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Cured pork tenderloin with rosemary, bay laurel and roasted shallot broth
Time1 hour 30 minutes
YieldsServes 8
Roast pork shoulder master recipe
Time3 hours 35 minutes
YieldsServes 12 to 14
Port wine-glazed crown roast of pork
TimeTotal time: 2 1/2 hours
Active work time: 15 minutes
YieldsServes 12 to 14
Coffee'd brisket
Time4 hours 15 minutes
YieldsServes 8 to 10
Slow-baked salmon filet with preserved lemon and herb relish
Time1 hour 35 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Meshwi lahm ‘ala rozz (Saudi roast lamb shoulder on a bed of fragrant rice)
Time4 hours
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Chipotle- and orange-glazed ham
Time2 hours 10 minutes
YieldsServes 10 to 12
Roast leg of lamb with figs and olives
Time1 hour 30 minutes
YieldsServes 8
Five-spice roast pork belly
Time1 hour 5 minutes
YieldsServes 8
Pot-roasted lamb with fennel and potatoes
Time2 hours
YieldsServes 8 to 12
Spiced pork tenderloin with roasted apples and pumpkin risotto
Time1 hour 10 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 8
Bistro Garden Pot Roast
Time3 hours 30 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Spatchcocked Roast Duck With Vietnamese-ish Herb Sauce
Time2 hours, largely unattended, plus 48 hours chilling
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Slow-Roasted Salmon with Spicy Radicchio and Olives
Time45 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Roast leg of lamb with rosemary, garlic and anchovies
TimeTotal time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
YieldsServes 8 to 12