Roasts are among our favorite all-occasion main dishes. From the simplest roast chicken to the most spectacular crown roast, this cooking method creates juicy meat and flavorful pan drippings from which to make gravy or just drizzle over the finished dish.

Fennel seed, thyme, and rosemary make a fragrant rub for this holiday-worthy main course. Whole heads of garlic cook along with the beef, becoming tender and sweet.

A sweet-tart sauce of orange, oregano, and parsley complements tender lamb chops. The process of removing the meat and fat from the bones is known as "frenching," and makes for an elegant presentation on the holiday table.

Roast a cumin-rubbed pork loin in a sweet and tangy sauce of orange juice, marmalade, and white-wine vinegar. Serve this Cuban-inspired roast with rice or potatoes.

Searing this tenderloin in a hot skillet and then roasting it in the oven ensures a flavorful, crusty exterior and a juicy, perfectly cooked interior. The roast is served with zesty mustard aioli.

Baste garlic and fennel-stuffed ducks with balsamic vinegar as they roast to give them a burnished glaze. This recipe is from chef April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig and The John Dory Oyster Bar in New York City.

Also known as prime rib, this standing rib roast is rubbed with a mixture of olive oil, flour, salt, pepper, and sugar, which forms a golden crust as the meat cooks. Serve this roast with the traditional accompaniments of horseradish cream, roasted potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding.

Give boneless turkey breast an Italian accent with a stuffing of kale, hot sausage, raisins, and pine nuts. A side dish of brussels sprouts roasts in the same pan with the turkey.

A bone-in pork roast is brushed with olive oil flavored by garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage, and roasted with Lady apples and petite Seckel pears. White wine and apple cider help make an easy, flavorful pan sauce.

The secret to crisp, golden skin is to steam the goose before roasting to render out some of the fat. Serve with rich Marsala wine gravy.

Worthy of any special occasion, pork tenderloins are stuffed with fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and roasted garlic. The loins are then wrapped in bacon, which bastes and flavors the roasts while they cook.

A golden-brown roast chicken with pan gravy is one of the world's most comforting and delicious meals. Cooked with aromatics including onions, lemon, and thyme, this juicy bird makes a perfect dinner with roasted potatoes and a simple green salad. If you like, roast two chickens and enjoy the leftovers in sandwiches, salads, or casseroles.

Twenty minutes in the oven is all it takes for this beef tenderloin to reach medium-rare perfection. Serve the meat with roasted shiitake mushrooms and a creamy shallot-brandy sauce.

Rosemary-seasoned carrots and shallots become candy-sweet as they roast alongside a boneless pork loin. A simple white-wine and mustard sauce complements the roast.

Slightly smoky Aleppo pepper gives an alluring flavor to this juicy turkey. A basting sauce of butter, fresh orange juice, and white wine is brushed over the bird during roasting.

This prime rib and the rosemary-garlic potatoes are ready for the oven in just 15 minutes. Accompany this elegant main course with a salad and a vegetable side dish.

A generous amount of mashed roasted garlic is rubbed between meat and skin before this chicken goes into the oven. If you like, add chopped fresh thyme or lemon zest to the garlic mixture.

Shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard, and fresh mint are pureed to make an aromatic rub for this rack of lamb. The rub can also be used on individual lamb chops; simply decrease the roasting time.

A mixture of sauteed onion, garlic, orange and lime juices, and fresh oregano flavor a boneless pork shoulder roast while it cooks. Cooking the roast at a low temperature for a long period of time ensures that the meat will be tender and juicy.

A glorious prime rib of beef roast marinates overnight in a rub of orange zest, dried bay leaves, and chopped fresh sage. Par-boiled potatoes roast to a golden brown in the aromatic pan drippings as the meat cooks.

The rich meat of duck breasts is complemented by a fragrant rub of crushed peppercorns, allspice, juniper berries, and bay leaves. Allow at least two hours, or overnight, to let the duck marinate in its seasonings before roasting.

Garlic and bay leaves are mashed with salt to create a seasoning rub for pork rib roast. Serve the meat with a tangy sauce of fresh parsley and Dijon mustard.

This beef tenderloin roast is seasoned with horseradish, grainy mustard, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, and seared in the oven at 500 degrees to create a flavorful crust. For maximum juiciness, be sure to let the tenderloin rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

A puree of preserved lemons, rosemary, and mint is rubbed over boneless leg of lamb and refrigerated overnight to marinate before roasting. Preserved lemons are made by packing lemons in salt and allowing them to sit for at least a month, creating a distinct, mellow lemon flavor and edible rind. The lemons can be made at home or purchased from a specialty grocer.

A bone-in pork roast is seasoned with garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Baby new potatoes roast in the same pan as the pork, becoming crispy on the outside and creamy within.

The fragrant and flavorful seasoning rub for this prime rib roast is made by mashing together rosemary, lemon zest, garlic, and anchovy fillets. Serve the roast with a creme fraiche, horseradish, and marjoram sauce.

A large fillet of salmon is seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and roasted just until opaque. The easy white-wine sauce can be prepared while the salmon cooks.

This chicken is generously coated with paprika and thyme, and then baked in a cast-iron skillet until blackened. Cooking the chicken at 375 degrees for two hours ensures tender, juicy meat.

Salt and pepper are the only seasoning this roasted prime rib needs. A few short ribs are cooked along with the roast in order to create plenty of drippings, which are combined with red wine to create a flavorful pan sauce.

The rich flavor of roast goose stuffed with herbs makes a memorable special-occasion meal. While the goose roasts, use the giblets to make stock for the gravy.

Garlic is pureed with olive oil to make an easy rub for boneless leg of lamb. Make the simple pan sauce with red wine and chicken broth.

Wedges of butternut squash and red onion roast alongside oregano-seasoned pork tenderloins. Before serving, the juice of an orange is squeezed over the vegetables.

Breadcrumbs seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and parsley coat the outside of this rack of lamb, forming a crisp exterior as the meat cooks. A thin layer of Dijon mustard spread over the lamb ensures that the breadcrumb coating adheres.

Bread stuffing with wild mushrooms and celery root is sandwiched between duck breast halves, which are tied with butcher's twine and roasted. This recipe also works very well with chicken breasts.

Red onions, potatoes, and red and yellow bell peppers absorb pan drippings and become tender and sweet as they roast alongside the beef. This recipe uses lean and economical eye-of-round roast.

Wild rice dressing is presented inside a magnificent crown roast of pork. The roast is served with a white-wine and apple cider pan gravy.

A brown sugar and spicy mustard glaze, traditionally used on ham, is wonderful on roasted turkey too. This turkey is first rubbed with butter and roasted until beginning to brown, and is then brushed with the tangy-sweet glaze during the last hour of cooking.

A boneless rib-eye roast is seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and served with balsamic-glazed shallots and a red-wine pan sauce. The meat roasts for 30 minutes in a 500-degree oven to create a flavorful seared crust, and then finishes cooking to a juicy medium-rare at 325 degrees.

A whole roasted salmon makes a beautiful presentation for dinner parties. This fish is stuffed with cilantro, sliced oranges, and red onion, and basted with orange juice and butter while it roasts.

Juicy rib-eye roast is crowned with a crisp layer of herbed breadcrumbs. A layer of sour cream and horseradish helps the breadcrumb coating adhere to the meat.

This Greek-style leg of lamb is rubbed with lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary. Yukon Gold potatoes are boiled just until tender and then roasted alongside the lamb to become browned and crisp.

Rubbed with rosemary and wrapped in pancetta, this is no ordinary pork roast. The wrapped pork loin is roasted in a cast-iron skillet with cipollini onions and served with gravy made from pan drippings and chicken stock.

Boneless leg of lamb is studded with slices of garlic, rubbed with lemon juice and marjoram, and marinated in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to a day. For even cooking, be sure to bring the meat to room temperature before roasting.

Top or bottom round roast is a budget-friendly and tasty cut of beef. This roast is seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and served with an easy sour cream-horseradish sauce and roasted onions.