Five of a kind: Winter roast events in Melbourne

MR LAWRENCE AND THE GOAT
Mr Lawrence’s roast uses Seven Hills goat from Tallarook, dry-rubbed with berbere spice mix and served with new season kale, black-eyed beans and pinenuts, matched with syrah from the Yarra Valley. Goat is a regular and popular addition to the Mr Lawrence specials menu and although partner Matthew Thurley says few people cook it at home, he’s expecting it to be a winner. “We have a beautiful [goat] supplier and thought this would be a wonderful way to try something different.”
Wednesdays nights from June 4 to 25. $29 at Mr Lawrence, 92 Beach St, Port Melbourne, 9077 4992. mrlawrence.com.au

3 LITTLE PIGS WENT TO PORTUGAL
Matt McConnell teams up with wine expert Scott Wasley to celebrate Portugal’s roasting tradition with pork. Taking inspiration from the classic slow-roasted suckling pig, which is regularly sprayed with white wine through the cooking process, McConnell will be roasting Greenvale Farm rare-breed pork shoulder using the same technique. Pork will feature in small dishes too, inspired by the cooking style of northern Portugal including pork neck and little pork rolls buttered with pork fat. A small event with only 35 diners and shared plates, McConnell says “it’s designed to be a festive occasion, not formal at all".
June 26, 7pm. $115 at Bar Lourinha, 37 Little Collins St, Melbourne, 9663 7890. barlourinha.com.au

VEGAN ROAST MASTERCLASS
Can a vegan roast ever be as satisfying as the taste and smell of juicy roasting meat cooked in an oven? Teacher Cate Lawrence says a plant-based roast can be just as satisfying, and is more inclusive too. A stuffed tofurkey and a seitan roast are just two of the dishes she’ll demonstrate in this hands-on masterclass focusing on adding flavour through fresh herbs and spices, vegetable stock and rich tomato-based sauces. “The traditional roast flavours of rosemary, garlic, onions and peppercorns work beautifully in vegan dishes too,” she says. Participants will also learn to make a vegan lemon tart, chocolate mousse and sticky pudding - all of which will be enjoyed at a feast at the end of the session.
June 22 from 11am. $140 at SPAN Community House, 64 Clyde St, Thornbury, 0433 484 889.

SLOW-ROAST MECHOUI FEAST
B’Stilla owner and head chef Jason Jones will draw on traditional Morroccan roasting styles in this four-course sharing feast. Think lamb shoulder coated with a butter, garlic and spice paste then briefly grilled over charcoal before slow roasting in the oven until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender. Roasted vegetables with an infused yoghurt will be part of a mezze starter and the feast will finish with Jones’ take on mahalabia, a warm orange blossom and almond custard with saffron pears and argan oil and hazelnut toffee.
June 8 and 15. $50 at B'stilla, 30b Bray Street, South Yarra, 9826 2370. bstilla.com

LE TOUR DE ROAST
A French chef with a love of the Tour de France is the inspiration for this journey through the roasting traditions of provincial France. Chef Lucas Julien-Beauzelle progresses through the “stages” with each Tuesday featuring a different roast. Commence the tour in Normandy with roast salt-marsh lamb, followed by a Bordeaux-inspired roast duck, a Basque roast pork and on the final Tuesday, a classic Bresse roast chicken accompanied by oven-cooked pommes boulangeres from Burgundy. The perfect pre-season warm-up for the real Tour starting in July.
Tuesdays nights from June 3 to 24. $35 at The French Brasserie, 2 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne, 9662 1632. thefrenchbrasserie.com.au

More roast meets

French-born painter and former restaurateur Mirka Mora is 86 and still has all the lust for life that has made her one of the best-loved and most enduring figures of Melbourne art and food circles. Meet her at a French-inspired lunch at Cafe Vue at Heide on June 19 for tales of boho Melbourne circa 1960, including stories about her time as co-proprietor of Cafe Mirka, Balzac and Tolarno. The lunch is one of more than 100 being staged around Victoria in June under the Roast Collection banner.

Restaurants hosting roasts range from Neil Perry's glamorous Rosetta, where different meats (spatchcock, venison) will be roasted each week, to bustling, Iberian-inspired Bomba, which will serve suckling pig on June 22. Further afield, the team from Gladioli plans pit-smoked lamb on the banks of the Barwon river on June 27, and there's a pork-crackling masterclass at Kinloch vineyard in the High Country on June 8.

The Roast Collection runs June 1-30, see melbournefoodandwine.com.au