Please settle this dispute re: "a roast"

[UnlimitedChipsAndSalsa]

I need the power of MN (to prove that I'm right...). If someone says they are "making a roast on Sunday" what meat(s) could possibly be being served?

DS primary school does roast on Wednesdays, sometimes the meat is sausages.

My DC primary school used to do a roast on a Wednesday but you could choose to have it with pasta instead of roast potatoes. 😳
IMO this is all kinds of wrong, borderline illegal

I'd say roast beef is the classic OP console yourself with that! Hence the French calling us 'les rosbifs' (interesting on the history of that news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2913151.stm )

But I agree it is a roast whole bird or significant joint (ie not processed) of meat.

It's short for "a roast dinner" which means some kind of joint of meat (or whole bird) plus potatoes and vegetables at the barest minimum of the definition.

A roast is usually defined as roast potatoes, veg and meat, often Yorkshires too not just beef. Your DH is not wrong

Pasta!! That is so wrong

Baked sausages are absolutely great but they are not a roast dinner.

In America my brother-in-law made us 'one-pan sausage roast'.

I’ll be that person for you!

I grew up in Canada/France. I have no idea why, but for some reason the Brits are associated with roast beef. In (really dated) slang, Brits can even be called “les rosbifs”. If any British person told me they were doing a roast, prior to me living in the UK I would have assumed beef and been quite excited. Now I know not to be. 😝

Just to check @UnlimitedChipsAndSalsa he meant chicken alongside the trimmings of a rosy dinner right? Potatoes, stuffing, veg, gravy etc? If he just meant he'd roast a chicken and have with with something random like pasta or salad then that's 100% NOT a roast and you're right.

If he meant all the trimmings and roast chicken then you've definitely lost this one, sorry!

ClumpingBamboo 😂

A roast is a piece of meat roasted, plus roasted potatoes, gravy and vegetables.

so roast chicken, pork, lamb or beef. More unusual might be duck, goose, then Turkey at Christmas etc.

"A roast" for us is a roasted poultry. Would specify a beef roast or a pork roast etc.

But just roasted poultry in itself isn't a roast. Must be accompanied by roast potatoes, veg and Yorkshire puddings. Stuffing if we have it/remembepr to buy it.

My neighbour always had chips with her's which I find verging on offensive.

so why is it called roast chicken then if its not classed as a roast dinner

I agree OP. “A” roast is always beef, otherwise its roast chicken, etc.

I’m Canadian though.

Historically, a roast is cooked on a spit over an open fire, and meat cooked in an oven is baked (have spent far too long being versed in Tudor cooking).

In modern times, the difference between roasting and baking in the oven is temperature, with 200°C being the tipping point.

See, there you go. Canadians agree with you. OP.

I'd be surprised if invited round for "a roast" and given:

• sausages (unless as a side event to the main joint)
• toad in the hole
• fish of any kind
• breaded anything
• gammon (for some reason, cured meats don't fit in my "a roast" category)
• veggie anything (unless inviter was a known veggie or "veggie roast" was specified)

I'd be anticipating at the minimum:

• a chunk of meat or whole small animal, cooked in the oven then portioned out after cooking (but in cases of limited funds or cooking space maybe chicken thighs roasted in a tray, or a Bernard Matthews style turkey breast roast)
• roast potatoes (mash at a push — but chicken and chips doesn't count as "a roast")
• some sort of vegetable
• gravy

Nice extras include Yorkshire puddings, more than one vegetable, appropriate condiments (e.g. mint sauce, horseradish, cranberry sauce), stuffing, etc. but they're not vital.

Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but I'll give you that the French call the English les rosbif and not roschicken or anything else.

Me and DH are vegetarian but we call meals with roast potatoes a roast. We have just eaten veggie toad in the hole, roast potatoes, peas, green beans, broad beans, carrots and sweetcorn.

Ah, OK, was already mentioned as a Canadian nickname!

Any dish that has been roasted.

Usually roast pork or roast chicken in my house. Beef occasionally but it's really expensive these days so I tend to do beef stew, and roast dinner with cheaper meats.
We do sometimes have a 'sausage roast' the thin end of the month though, not gonna lie

Yes ...Roast Chicken Thighs , perfect for budget days or midweek roasts.

I'm craving a lovely pub roast dinner now .

In my house it's usually roast salmon, which goes nicely with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and braised red cabbage.

@UnlimitedChipsAndSalsa a roast can be the act of taking the mick out of someone quite cruelly but just the right side of the line. You can see this particular version of a roast in action right here on this thread 😉