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In the oldest and strictest sense, to cook
on a spit in front of a fire in the open air. Now, most of us roast in the
oven, but we try to get as close to the effect of the
open-air-spit-roasting as possible. The purpose of roasting is to create a
golden brown crust on whatever it is we are roasting and at the same time,
making sure the meat, fish or vegetables are properly cooked in the
center. When roasting, no liquid such as stock, wine or water comes in
contact with the food - only hot air or if the roast is being basted, hot
fat. Roasting is both simple and complex. Simple because there's very
little to do except slide the food into the oven. Complex because if the
temperature isn't right, the food may never brown or cook properly.
Roasting is the best method for cooking
relatively large (at least larger than a single serving) tender cuts of
meat and young tender birds. Such tender and relatively lean cuts don't
benefit from long, slow cooking in liquid (braising), which would cause
them to dry out. Because lean and tender meats and poultry dry out if even
slightly overcooked, judging doneness is an essential part of good
roasting.
Some cooks roast on a roasting rack, but it
is not recommended. With the roast suspended over the roasting pan, the
juices drip down from the roast, hit the hot roasting pan and burn.
Setting the roast over a layer of coarsely chopped bones (usually from the
roast), meat trimmings (also from the roast) and aromatic vegetables
(usually onions, carrots and a little celery) spread over the bottom of
the roasting pan will keep the roast from sticking to the bottom of the
pan and help distribute the heat evenly so the juices don't burn.
Guidelines for roasting -
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Determine oven temperature - Because home
ovens can be up to 100 degrees off, there's no point relying blindly on
oven temperature until you learn how accurate your own oven is. The
easiest way to approach roasting meats and poultry is to start at a fairly
high temperature, so you're reasonably guaranteed that the roast will
brown before it overcooks. If once it is browned, you will find that it's
not cooked through, lower the oven temperature and keep roasting until
done. Usually, the larger the roast, the lower the roasting temperature,
because a larger roast takes a relatively long time to cook and will have
plenty of time to brown. Small roast like rack of lamb, needs a high
temperature (425oF). For a roast above 5 pounds, 400oF
is a good temperature to start. A heavier roast, or a turkey, which may be
in the oven for 3 or more hours, will have plenty of time to brown even at
the relatively low temperature of 350oF. If the roast is
approaching doneness but still hasn't browned properly, turn the oven
temperature up to brown the meat quickly. If conversely, the meat is well
browned but raw inside, turn the oven down to let the meat finish cooking
without continuing to brown. For some very small roasts for instance,
quail, squab, or Cornish hens, the oven may not be hot enough to brown the
bird without overcooking it. Brown these small birds before roasting in a
frying pan with a little oil.
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Determining Doneness - The easiest and most
reliable way of determining the doneness of a roast is to stick an instant
read thermometer, or skewer into the center of the roast or between the
breast and thigh of a bird. White-fleshed birds, such as chickens, turkeys
and Cornish hens, should read 145oF in the coolest part, the
area between the breast and the thigh right near the joint. Birds with red
flesh, such as duck, should be cooked to about 125oF. The same
methods work for pork and veal, which should always be cooked to 140oF.
Red meat such as beef, lamb, venison and rabbit are roasted to taste, with
rare meat registering about 120oF, medium-rare between 125oF
to 130oF, medium between 130oF and 135oF,
and medium-well between 135oF to 140oF. Remember
that the internal temperature will rise even while the roast rests.
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Resting - Roasted meats should not be served
straight out of the oven, but should be allowed to rest in a warm place
for 20 to 30 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil. The foil keeps
the meat warm and loose wrapping ensures that the outside of the meat
doesn't steam and lose its crispness. Resting allows the muscle (meat is
muscle) to relax so the juices become redistributed in the meat and aren't
squeezed out onto the platter during carving. Resting also allows the heat
in the outer part of the roast to penetrate to the middle so the roast
ends up more evenly cooked. The internal temperature of a roast increases
by about 5 degrees during the resting. For this reason, a rare roast may
be cooked to 120oF or even less because the temperature
increases and the roast continues to cook as it sits.
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