Roasting means cooking with indirect dry heat. The meat is usually roasted at a high temperature for a short period of time to caramelize the outside, then the heat is reduced for longer cooking so that the inside is perfectly cooked as well. All meats can be roasted, lean meats acquire great flavor while hard meats become tender. You can learn the basics of this technique and learn specific methods for poultry and beef.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: The Basics
Step 1. Choose the heat source
Conventional ovens are the simplest tool for roasting, while convection ovens have air recirculation to slightly speed up the process. This results in slightly shorter cooking times for all types of meat. While you can roast a cut of meat in a regular oven, there are alternative techniques.
- Baking at home is the most common way. The meat must be placed on the central shelf and the temperature must be between 140 and 200 ° C. Leaner cuts should be cooked at a high temperature for a short period of time, while fatty ones should be cooked slowly and over low heat.
- The tandoori and underground ovens are powered by electricity or a wood fire. These cook the meat very quickly. In some regions it is a very common technique for preparing “street-food”. The meat is subjected to temperatures of around 260-320 ° C for a short period of time, and the result is a crunchy and juicy dish.
- Outdoor charcoal barbecues and smokers can be used for roasting, although their main purpose is to grill or smoke. However, they can be adapted to slow cooking and low temperatures, if you have an ignition chimney that can heat the cooking chamber. This technique is widely used for pork.
Step 2. Choose the pan
The meat must be placed on or inside a baking dish so that the juices do not fall back into the oven or onto the heat source. Usually specific pans are used, but there is no general rule. If you don't have a roasting pan, you can find disposable ones at the supermarket or make one by folding aluminum foil.
- Roasting pans should be used when cooking beef, chicken, lamb and all cuts that need to be prepared on a bed of vegetables. Even if the underside of the meat doesn't have to form a crust, roasting pans are the ideal tool.
- Roasting racks are used for cooking meat on all sides. They are suitable for lamb, so that the meat is lifted off the bottom of the pan. The juices drip into the shelf below and the dish does not remain immersed in it. This is a great way to preserve juices and make gravy.
- The skewer is a widely used tool for chicken. The meat rotates continuously near the heat source to cook evenly. It is not widely used in the home, but on the market there are small appliances for private use.
Step 3. Before roasting the meat, it must be brought to room temperature
Very large cuts, such as whole chickens, need to rest on the kitchen counter for several hours before being put in the oven. This step allows you to cook the meat evenly avoiding roasts that are almost burnt on the outside but raw on the inside.
- Transferring the meat directly from the fridge to the oven means heating the outside while the heart is still cold. Even cooking is very difficult with a cut of meat that has not reached room temperature.
- Remember to completely thaw the cuts in the refrigerator overnight before cooking them. Then, as always, let them come to room temperature.
Step 4. Roast the meat without covering it
To caramelize the outside, it must never be covered during cooking. It will only be covered once it has been removed from the oven during the rest phase. Only thorough cooking makes the meat softer and juicier, not a covered pan.
Do not add any liquid to the bottom of the pan to keep the meat moist. If you do, you will not roast the meat but braise it; it is another cooking technique, entirely valid, but it does not give the result we are looking for now
Step 5. Start cooking the meat at a high temperature, then turn the heat down
Each type of meat needs its specific temperature which could be between 140 and 200 ° C, depending on the dish you are preparing. Usually the high temperature phase lasts 15-20 minutes, then it drops to 180-190 ° C for a cooking that lasts several hours. In the following sections we will discuss temperatures based on the type of meat.
- Tender cuts like tenderloin and sirloin should be cooked at a high temperature all the time (however short). They are not meats that benefit from a first "blanching" and slow cooking afterwards. In fact, this technique is more suitable for hard and cheaper meat such as pork shoulder and neck.
- Always make sure the oven is well preheated and has reached the correct temperature. You don't have to gradually heat the meat, it must instead undergo a thermal shock in a hot oven. The meat cooks more evenly by retaining the juices. If you do it right you won't have to hope that the meat is good, it sure will be.
Step 6. Let the dish rest after cooking
Meat is made up of compacted protein fibers that release water as the temperature rises. This is mixed with the fats that the meat releases during cooking and forms delicious juices that enhance the flavor of the dish. If you cut the hot muscle immediately, the juices will disperse onto the cutting board. Wait for the fibers to relax as the temperature slowly drops, cover it and give it 10-20 minutes to reabsorb the juices and improve the flavor. This is the main reason why meat, especially poultry and beef, needs to rest.
Part 2 of 3: Roasting Beef and Other Red Meat
Step 1. Choose the right cut
Many pieces of beef are simply referred to as “roast”, which makes them a little difficult to identify. You have to buy a cut with a good supply of fat, which melts in cooking thus giving a great flavor to the dish. In addition, the juice is a delicious base for making gravy. Look for a piece of meat that is fresh, a nice pink color with no gray spots and with an adequate amount of fat. Here are the most common cuts:
- Sirloin steak.
- Fillet steak.
- Walker.
- Neck.
- Real.
Step 2. Season the beef the easy way
You can come up with elaborate marinades and spice mixes, but the truth is that the best beef is the one seasoned with simple elements. Roast beef tastes better if it's not too messy with various flavorings. Add the spices when the meat has reached room temperature, just before putting it in the oven.
- Grease the beef with fat, such as olive oil. Natural or blue butter is also excellent on meat, due to its nutty flavor and the delicious crust it forms on the surface.
- Use salt and pepper to your taste to sprinkle all sides of the meat. Dab them with your hands to make them stick to the beef.
Step 3. Cook the roast in a roasting dish over a bed of chopped vegetables
The best way to cook a beef roast is to lay it on suitably seasoned vegetables. The juices that come out of the meat improve the flavor of the vegetables, which will become delicious. They will also make a fantastic base for a gravy sauce. You can serve vegetables as a side dish, nothing simpler.
Try shredding carrots, onions, red potatoes and use them to coat the bottom of the pan. At this time you don't have to season them, flavor the meat and place it on top of the vegetables. That's all you have to do
Step 4. Consider tying the roast to harmonize the shape
Some oblong cuts or stuffed roasts must be tied with kitchen string, so that the shape is homogeneous and the cooking uniform. Furthermore, this operation prevents the meat from opening during cooking. This is not necessary for all roasts, but if you have meat that has been folded open and then stuffed, it is advisable to tie it before putting it in the oven.
To tie it there is no need for a complex technique. Use three segments of kitchen twine and knot them around the meat to form a compact roll of sorts. Tighten the string well so the roast doesn't lose its shape
Step 5. Consider browning the meat before putting it in the oven
Instead of being baked in a high-temperature phase followed by a low-temperature one, the beef is often first browned in a pan, on the stove, and then finished in the oven. This is the classic method of preparing Wellington fillet.
- To brown the roast, heat some oil in a skillet over high heat and add it when the oil starts to smoke. It should sizzle immediately; if this does not happen, remove the beef from the pan and wait for the oil to be hotter. Brown all sides of the cut of meat and then transfer it to the baking dish for baking.
- Don't cut the fat away. It must blend and season the whole dish.
Step 6. Cook the beef at 160 ° C for 30 minutes for every 1 pound of weight
Roasts of different sizes need different cooking times, but as a general rule, calculate 30 minutes for every 500g. If you have a meat thermometer available, know that you should remove the beef when it is around 18 ° C to the core temperature you want to reach. Below you will find a list of the degrees of cooking and their internal temperatures. Beef is usually best cooked rare, but this depends on personal taste.
- Beef cooked rare has a temperature between 49 and 54 ° C, it must be a bright purple inside. It is very tender and juicy.
- The medium rare meat has an internal temperature between 54 and 57 ° C, it must be reddish in color and warmer inside, compared to the rare one.
- Medium-cooked meat reaches a temperature of 57-62 ° C, is pink in color but less juicy than medium rare.
- The cooked meat has a temperature of 62-68 ° C, is quite hard and dark inside.
- Well-cooked meat has an internal temperature above 68 ° C. It is dark in color and rather tough. In general, you shouldn't get to this level for a roast.
Step 7. Let the covered meat rest for 10-15 minutes
When it has almost reached the temperature you want, remove it from the oven and the pan. Place it on a cutting board and cover it with aluminum foil. It will continue to cook, then the temperature will drop slightly giving you a perfectly cooked roast.
Cut the meat into fairly thick slices to limit heat loss. They should be generous portions (at least 1.5cm), especially if it's rare
Part 3 of 3: Roasting the Poultry
Step 1. Cook the poultry whole
The best way to have a roast of chicken, turkey or game is to cook the whole animal. This requires a certain amount of preparation which allows you to get the most out of your efforts. The best way to have tasty and juicy roast poultry is to use the oven.
You can buy 1.5-2.5kg chicken at the grocery store - they're the ideal size for a good dinner. You must not cut it or slaughter it in any way
Step 2. Put the meat in a marinade or brine
You can always cook it in the oven with a minimal amount of flavorings and spices, but taking the time for a good marinade will definitely improve its flavor and tenderness. Leave the chicken in a simple marinade for a couple of hours, or even overnight before putting it in the oven.
- Before marinating the meat, make small incisions on the breast, thighs and the whole animal with a knife. Use the tip of the blade and tuck it in until you feel the bone, as this will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat and not just flavor the skin.
- The French method for roast chicken simply involves marinating with two lemons, a head of garlic, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemons into a bowl, cut a head of garlic in half, add fresh thyme and any herbs you like (sage, rosemary and so on), salt and pepper. Dip the chicken breast-side down in this marinade and let it rest in the fridge for several hours. Before putting it in the oven, stuff the abdominal cavity with lemons, garlic and herbs.
- Make a brine. In this case, you have to mix hot water, sugar and salt and then immerse the chicken in it overnight. The meat will become very tasty. Drain the chicken (or turkey) well before putting it in the oven.
Step 3. Season both the inside and the outside of the poultry
Even if you have marinated it, it is a good idea to season it once again with salt and pepper both inside the abdominal cavity and outside. This way all of the chicken will be flavored and improve its flavor as it cooks. The flavor will transfer to all the meat as it releases the juices.
Step 4. Tie the legs only
Before putting the chicken in the oven, tie its legs with kitchen twine. This operation allows even cooking and prevents the filling from coming out. If you leave the legs open, the meat will cook too quickly and dry out, which is not the case if you leave the legs very close to the rest of the chicken.
There are many fancy ways to tie chicken legs, but the simplest is to tie them together with a piece of kitchen twine. Make a double knot and it's ready to bake
Step 5. Place the chicken in a baking dish
Just like beef, poultry is great when roasted on a bed of vegetables, such as onions and carrots. Cut your favorite vegetables into large pieces and arrange them on the bottom of the pan, then place the chicken on top.
Avoid roast bags. Nowadays, plastic bags for baking chicken are in vogue. These should have the purpose of speeding up cooking by transforming normal ovens into a sort of super-microwave. The chicken cooked in these bags remains soggy and cannot be called "roast". Take the time to cook the meat properly
Step 6. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C
All poultry should initially be cooked at a high temperature and then dropped to around 180 ° C. At this point, you should calculate 20 minutes of cooking for every half kilo of chicken, plus another 15 minutes at the end. Convection ovens have slightly shorter cooking times. Turkeys, especially very large ones, need longer cooking.
- Moisten the meat if you wish, although this is not mandatory. The best thing is to allow the chicken a rest time after cooking and not to exceed the time in the oven. By doing this you are sure to offer a tender and juicy roast.
- If you use a meat thermometer, check the temperature in the thigh and chest. The thigh should reach 82 ° C while the chest 71 ° C; these values mean that the chicken is well cooked.
- Check that the juices coming out of the meat are transparent. The best way to check the doneness of poultry is to skewer it with a knife on the joint of the thigh and lower breast. The juices must come out transparent. If they are opaque or pink, the chicken needs more time in the oven.
Advice
- Remember to make a marinade that matches your tastes.
- Make sure the grill has reached the correct temperature.
