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CHEF Sphamandla Manqunyana of SphasCookOut has shared his roast recipe with us in honour of the Christmas season.

Manqunyana turned to the culinary arts when he lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. He found himself leaning on his love of cooking and the skills his grandmother instilled in him. After receiving his qualification as a professional chef Manqunyana worked in Cape Town honing his skills. 

The idea of regular cookouts started in Cape Town and Gqeberha is now privy to the concept which sees Manqunyana cook for an intimate crowd – hopefully once a month.

The former Kwazakhele resident recently invited 041 to join him for his first anniversary and launch of SphasCookOut Gqeberha. We were so impressed we got him to share a secret or two.

Here is Manqunyana’s secret to a perfect roast

Recipe :

• Let the meat come to room temp. First and foremost, let the roast sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours before cooking. 
• Preheat your oven. Set the oven temperature to 450˚F.
• Prep the roast. Pat dry the beef with paper towels and, using a sharp knife, pierce meat in several places; insert slivers of garlic in each hole. 
• Add the flavourings. Combine olive oil, fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl; stir to combine and then rub all over roast.
• Add to your roasting pan. Place the roast on top of a rack set over a roasting pan.
• Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer into the centre of the roast. This will ensure a perfectly cooked roast.
• Cook. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes.
• Lower the temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚F and continue to cook your roast beef until the internal temperature reaches a desired doneness: 130°F for rare, 140°F for medium rare, and 150°F to 155˚F for medium to well done.
• Rest. Remove from oven and let the roast rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

If you’re wondering what kind of meat to use for the best roast, these his top suggestions are

• Top Round Roast
• Bottom Round Roast
• Eye of Round
• Top Sirloin Roast