Roast meat you can cook in your pizza oven

There’s something inherently magical about cooking with wood fire. The crackle of flames, the aromatic smoke, and the intense heat all combine to create an unparalleled culinary experience. While pizza might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about wood-fired ovens, they’re also fantastic for roasting. From succulent meats to perfectly caramelised vegetables, the possibilities are endless. In this blog, we’ll explore the art of roasting in a wood-fired pizza oven and discover some mouth-watering ideas that will elevate your outdoor cooking to new heights.

Prime Rib, served pink

We can’t think of a more succulent meat than Prime Rib to roast in your pizza oven! Unlike our recommendation when cooking pizza, you don’t really want to get the oven up to its blistering high heat potential. Rather, you’ll want to aim for a temperature of around 120°c. To achieve this, you may need to take the oven higher. Then let the flames subside naturally, which in turn lowers the temperature of the oven and the stone. The temperature of the oven can be controlled using the damper, and oven door if needed. The high-quality insulation on all Igneus ovens ensures the internal temperature stays hot enough to roast meat.

Prepare the meat

In terms of prep, it’s important to get the meat out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. This allows the meat to come up to room temperature and stops the ‘shock’ factor when it’s exposed to high heat, which can cause the meat to be tough. Depending on the flavours you intend to impart onto your Prime Rib, you may want to start preparation earlier if marinating. We would recommend a generous seasoning of cracked black pepper and sea salt to further enhance the flavour. Place the rib in a cast iron roasting tray once the pizza oven has cooled to the desired temperature. Prime rib should be cooked to an internal meat temperature of about 54°c for medium rare.

Use a Meat Thermometer

Using a meat thermometer such as the Meater 2 Plus Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer is a great option to ensure you never overcook your meat again! Turning the meat every 15 minutes ensures an even, gnarly char all the way over the rib. You may wish to cook with the door to your pizza oven in place, but this does not apply to pizza! Once the meat has finished cooking, the hardest part awaits… resisting the temptation to slice into the rib before you’ve rested it for 10 minutes!

Then, do you slice your beautifully cooked, juicy pink prime rib and serve in a crusty baguette with dijon mustard, or alone with a healthy dollop of horseradish? You could even cook the full trimmings of a roast alongside the rib! Even better, the vegetables can be cooked whilst the oven is preheating, or the meat is resting.

Pork shoulder

As with the rib, you’ll definitely want to take your time with preparation. Popular recipes include brining or marinating overnight. However, even if you are opting to go for a more traditional approach, you’ll need to ensure the joint has a liberal amount of salt for a crunchy crackling. You will need to preheat your pizza oven, then let it cool to around 200°c which is the ideal temperature for cooking Pork Shoulder. If you’re opting to go for a roast with all the usual accompanying vegetables you will have plenty of time to cook these while the pork is cooking, and while it rests. The temperature in roughly in line with what you’ll need for roast potatoes and veggies.

Use roasting tray

To roast the pork shoulder, place it in a cast iron roasting tray and leave it to slowly roast until the meat is juicy enough to fall apart. Popular styles include rubbing the pork shoulder with a glaze for a slightly sweet and caramelised taste, together with paprika and garlic powder for marinating. You might also wish to try pulling your roasted pork and serving with BBQ sauce, coleslaw and slowly roasted sweet potato fries in the summer!

Whole Seabass

One of the most important things to consider when cooking Seabass is that it cooks exceptionally quickly. Around 10 minutes depending on the thickness. It’s such a delicate, sweet fish that you’ll need to keep a watch over it as it cooks, as it will quickly dry out if overcooked. It’s also a good idea to prepare the fish in advance, by adding in some lemon and herbs. Don’t season with salt though until just before you launch it into the oven, as the salt will draw out the moisture of the fish.

Cook vegetables at the same time

A nice way of cooking seabass is with Mediterranean style vegetables such as courgettes, red onions, aubergines and cherry tomatoes. These will cook in a similar time to the fish, so you can even add them into the same roasting tray. Most fish will absorb the flavours you add to the tray so it’s a great way to impart flavour. Leave your pizza oven to cool to around 200°c. The seabass will cook quickly so you should take full advantage of the searing hot flames for a slightly charred taste.

Simply place your fish on the roasting tray or cast-iron pan and let the roar of the flames do the rest! A healthy squeeze of citrus fruits such as lemon and lime can certainly add a fresh flavour at the end of cooking. The wood fired cooking method really does add a new dimension to fish. It gives you a taste of the Med in your own back garden!

Which of these three roasts were your favourite? Have you roasted any meats, fish, vegetables in your pizza oven? We’d love to see! Tag us in on socials here. If you’ve yet to purchase your first pizza oven – what are you waiting for? Contact us today on 01423 575885, visit in store or use our contact form.