Roasting is a dry heat cooking method. A more specific definition includes roasting in an oven, before a fire, or buried in embers or very hot sand. Think about wrapping a potato up in aluminum foil and nestling it in the dying embers of a campfire.
Since this is not a frequent scenario, most people consider roasting as cooking large pieces of solid food in an oven. This is a correct definition, as far as it goes, but it is also a very simplistic definition.
Dozens of cook books have been written on the art and nuances of roasting: to baste or not to baste, proper roasting temperature, tied or untied, brine or marinate, bone in or bone out—the list goes on and on.
Roasting Equipment
It helps to have the right roasting equipment
Roasting was one of the earliest cooking methods because it requires very little equipment. Early roasting required either a rock in front of the fire or a stick - both readily available. If you’re not looking to go primitive, there are lots of “toys” you can buy, but all you’ll really need is a good roasting pan, an oven and an instant-read thermometer. Did you know that you should check the calibration of your instant read thermometer before using and adjust it if necessary?
If you are going to use a metal rack, some cooks prefer flat racks, and some prefer the V shaped racks. There are also U-shaped racks and vertical roasters available (think beer can chicken). Flat rack proponents say that a flat rack allows the meat to “spread out” and roast more evenly while V shaped racks “squeeze” the meat and prevent thorough cooking.
The Perfect Cuts Are Important
Roasting is a cooking technique that can be applied to a wide variety of meats, from poultry to pork, and is a fantastic choice when the goal is highlighting the flavor of the meat itself (rather than a flavorful sauce, as in a braise or a stew). There are some cuts that are not appropriate for roasting, however.
Proper Roasting Temperature
Because there are so many variables to roasting such as
* the weight of the meat you care cooking
* the initial temperature of the meat, did it just come out of the refrigerator?
* the pan you are cooking with
* the accuracy of your oven
* how many times you open the oven door to take a peak
* the temperature you are roasting at
makes it very difficult to say with accuracy how long to cook the meat based on minutes per pound. Of course I can give you estimates (and I will) but in general, you need to use a thermometer to measure the temperature in the center of the roast to achieve the optimum results.
Since this is not a frequent scenario, most people consider roasting as cooking large pieces of solid food in an oven. This is a correct definition, as far as it goes, but it is also a very simplistic definition.
Dozens of cook books have been written on the art and nuances of roasting: to baste or not to baste, proper roasting temperature, tied or untied, brine or marinate, bone in or bone out—the list goes on and on.
Roasting Equipment
It helps to have the right roasting equipment
Roasting was one of the earliest cooking methods because it requires very little equipment. Early roasting required either a rock in front of the fire or a stick - both readily available. If you’re not looking to go primitive, there are lots of “toys” you can buy, but all you’ll really need is a good roasting pan, an oven and an instant-read thermometer. Did you know that you should check the calibration of your instant read thermometer before using and adjust it if necessary?
If you are going to use a metal rack, some cooks prefer flat racks, and some prefer the V shaped racks. There are also U-shaped racks and vertical roasters available (think beer can chicken). Flat rack proponents say that a flat rack allows the meat to “spread out” and roast more evenly while V shaped racks “squeeze” the meat and prevent thorough cooking.
The Perfect Cuts Are Important
Roasting is a cooking technique that can be applied to a wide variety of meats, from poultry to pork, and is a fantastic choice when the goal is highlighting the flavor of the meat itself (rather than a flavorful sauce, as in a braise or a stew). There are some cuts that are not appropriate for roasting, however.
Proper Roasting Temperature
Because there are so many variables to roasting such as
* the weight of the meat you care cooking
* the initial temperature of the meat, did it just come out of the refrigerator?
* the pan you are cooking with
* the accuracy of your oven
* how many times you open the oven door to take a peak
* the temperature you are roasting at
makes it very difficult to say with accuracy how long to cook the meat based on minutes per pound. Of course I can give you estimates (and I will) but in general, you need to use a thermometer to measure the temperature in the center of the roast to achieve the optimum results.
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