A roast is a special, easy and elegant choice for a special occasion meal. This handy guide provides helpful tips for purchasing and preparing the perfect roast, taking you all the way from the meat counter to the table. What to buy There are many selections termed ''roast'' in the meat case, like beef round tip, beef tenderloin, veal leg rump, veal leg sirloin, boneless lamb leg, lamb rib and so on. The best way to start narrowing the options is to decide which variety of meat you'd like to serve - beef, veal or lamb. Roasts with the word ''round-leg'' or ''loin'' in the name are among the leanest choices.
Boneless sections are easiest to carve and serve.
These roasts should be ordered from your meat retailer in advance. How to determine the size Think about special-occasion appetites and second helpings when deciding what size roast to buy. Allow about 6 ounces of cooked meat per serving. Generally, a boneless beef, veal or lamb roast will yield two generous 6-ounce cooked, trimmed servings per pound. In order to ensure you get the size and cut you need, it's always a good idea to order holiday roasts from your meat retailer at least one week in advance.