Wikipedia: Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air envelops the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures … from an open flame, oven, or other heat source.
Roasting is a dry high heat method of cooking (~350F or higher) that enhances meat and winter or starchy veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, squash) flavor through caramelization and the Maillard Reaction, It concentrates the foods natural sugars and intensifies their flavor. In older times roasting was done over an open flame, but these days it means cooking in the oven.
Why roast meat?
Roasting is great for slow cooking larger cuts of meat (beef or lamb), and the cooked meat is then called a “roast.” We also roast fowl (chicken and turkey). It is generally done in an uncovered pan. And what makes this way of cooking so great is all you do is prep, the oven does all the work, and an hour or so later, you take it out, give it a rest, and plate.
Equipment
You will need a heavy roasting pan to distribute heat evenly, with a rack to suspend meats with lots of fat so it can drip down. You will use butcher’s twine to tie (truss) the meat so it keeps it shape and cooks evenly. And critically a thermometer so you do not over or under cook the food.
My mother would say you need a baster, but chicken and turkey have enough fat on them, and under the skin, they are effectively self basting. I only baste food if I have a unique sauce I am adding and want to be sure it gets into the food. Otherwise, all that basting does is cause you to open the oven door to let 50 degrees of heat out, which means a longer cooking time.
After cooking, all meat needs to rest and this is where most people use aluminum foil to create a tent over the food so it sits, reabsorbs and redistributes the juices, while cooling. The cooling time period can be 20-30 minutes.
Temperature
Setting the temp is the first choice and is based on your food.
- Roast large cuts of meat: between 250F – 375F for a long slow roast set near the middle of the oven
- Veggies can roast at 375F up to 450F
Roasting Process
Meat (beef and lamb)
- Preheat the oven for the desired temps
- Take the meat out of the fridge and let it get to room temp
- If not using a rack, place larger cuts of veggies (leeks, onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes) on the bottom of the pan
- If not already tied, season and add herbs to the inside of the meat slab, roll up and tie off
- Oil or butter the outside of the roast
- Then season with plenty of salt and pepper
- Some recipes ask you to sear the meat before cooking, others specify the temps, follow your recipe
- Place the meat in the oven, fat side up
- Let it cook and check it 30 minutes before the recipe says it should be done to make sure it has or is reaching its cooking temp
- Take the food out to rest once it has reached the appropriate internal temp
- Tent it while resting — it will still cook and cooks say it can raise an additional 5-15 degrees while sitting
- Wait at least 20-30min or more before cutting into the meat
Fowl (chicken and turkey)
- Preheat an oven to 450F
- Prep Options: set in brine, butter under the skin, slit the skin (but not the meat), oil the skin, whatever is your family recipe
- Bird goes from fridge to oven, back side up and cook for 30 min
- Reduce oven to 350F and rotate the bird belly up
- Cook according to directions (generally based on weight)
- Take out of oven once temp reached, tent while resting ~20min
Comments
Choosing the right cut of meat is critical. The best roasting meats are lean cuts (tenderloins) and fatty meat with connective tissue (shoulders). Speak with your butcher about what they suggest. And ask them to truss if for you if you want. As well, ask that they give you a cut that is uniform in shape and size so you do not need to do additional butchering at home.
I do not like having “flavor injections” done to my meats or turkeys. Any stuff added to the meat I want to do.