The central heating has finally gone on. To help warm us up, we’ll be craving the comfort of a roast dinner. But if you’re cooking just for two or three (as I do nowadays), this is an energy-intensive proposition. It means turning on the oven to cook a pound or so of meat.

There is an alternative, ideally suited to smaller joints: cook it in the microwave, then brown it quickly for colour. A smallish joint is de rigueur because microwave energy penetrates food only to a depth of around one inch, so heat is concentrated near the surface. With a small joint, however, heat spreads to the centre.

My preferred cuts are all from pork or lamb. For pork: rolled loin or shoulder (rind removed, as it will not turn to crackling). For lamb: rump, rolled loin, hunk of shoulder, thin end of the leg. It shouldn’t be more than around 10cm/4in thick at its thickest point.

Important point: have the meat fully at room temperature. Another important point: your timings may differ slightly from mine, as no two microwaves are alike. Use an instant-read probe thermometer to gauge doneness: lamb should be around 63C/145F, pork around 66C/150F. Lakeland sells a good version for £12.99 (01539 488100; www.lakeland.co.uk).

With those caveats in mind, here’s the lowdown. Put the meat in a suitable bowl and microwave at around ¾ power for around 8-10 minutes, turning once. When done, drain well and heat some vegetable oil in a heavy pan. Brown the meat well all over (around 5 minutes). While it’s resting before carving, deglaze the pan with the microwaved juices to make gravy.

There. A joint in under 20 minutes, with minimal energy use. In due course, this column will reveal the secrets of roasting potatoes in a frying pan. If you can’t wait, eat the joint with mash. About which I’ll have something to say next week.

greenkitchen@thetimes.co.uk

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