Sunday roast is a traditional British main course consisting of roast meat, potatoes, vegetables, and accompaniments like gravy. It originated in Yorkshire in the 18th century and is popular in many countries. Beef is the most common meat, but chicken, lamb, and pork are also used. The dish is often served for lunch or dinner and has various accompaniments depending on the meat used. The tradition may have started with medieval era servants eating roasted oxen after church on Sundays.
Sunday roast is a type of main course usually consisting of roast meat, potatoes and one of a number of traditional accompaniments such as gravy, vegetables and more. Common additions to a typical Sunday roast generally depend on the type of meat used, with different sides and sauces to match different meats. Its origins commonly go back to ecclesiastical families in 18th-century Yorkshire, England, but another theory has its roots in the medieval era, where servants were rewarded on Sundays for their work. The meal has many other names, such as Sunday lunch or Sunday joint, corresponding to different aspects of the tradition, and while best known as a British tradition, it is popular in many other countries around the world.
The meat used for Sunday roast is often beef, but chicken, lamb, and pork can also be used. In some seasons, ham, turkey, duck or goose are occasionally used. In addition to common meat substitutes, nut roast is a popular vegetarian alternative to Sunday roast. Additionally, bacon is often cooked in strips over the meat as it roasts.
Roast potatoes are almost always featured in a Sunday roast, usually accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy made from meat juice. These most often come with beef versions of the dish, as well as Yorkshire pudding. Carrots, peas, cabbage and broccoli are part of the assortment of vegetables that are usually added to the dish, which is cooked plain or lightly seasoned. Other common vegetables include swede, turnip and parsnip, which can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as mashed or roasted.
Horseradish sauce is usually present if the main meat is beef. English mustard is commonly used with beef or pork, and lamb is often accompanied by red currant jelly. Chicken can have many accompaniments, such as sausage, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Many families from the time the Sunday roast began left their meat in the oven while attending morning church services. It was then roasted and ready on their return around lunchtime. Medieval era servants may have started the tradition by eating roasted oxen after church on Sunday, which was their day off.
Sunday lunch and Sunday dinner clearly correspond to meal times. While the historic Sunday roast used to be a lunchtime affair, more contemporary generations also eat it for dinner. Sunday joint is a metonym for the meat joint used. In general, the Sunday roast is strongly British, but the tradition has also spread to many other areas of the world, including North America, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
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