A Toast to Roasts!
To celebrate our Anniversary Issue’s Cooking Class, we selected the ideal class to welcome in the new fall season; A Toast to Roasts . As the weather gets cooler and our appetites heartier, nothing could be more satisfying than a beef or pork roast cooked to perfection! Now is the time to warm up your kitchen and fill your home with savory, mouth-watering aromas that will have your entire family waiting in anxious anticipation for those two special words; "Dinner’s ready!"

Roasting with dry or moist heat

Choosing which method to cook a roast should be based on the quality and type of the meat. Tender cuts of meat can be dry-roasted. Dry roasting is a method of cooking meat in the oven without liquid at high or low temperatures. For dry roasting, always choose the best grades of meat possible. The cut of meat should be well-marbled and hold a nice shape. Prime cuts of meat come from the back, rib, sirloin and hindquarters.

Tougher cuts of meat should be moist-cooked, or cooked with liquid. Moist-cooked methods are pot-roasting, stewing or braising. Moist-cooking at low heat and for a longer cooking time will break down collagen, making an otherwise tough piece of meat very tender.

Dry Roasting

Crown Roast of Pork

Before roasting the meat, whether prime or an inexpensive cut, it should be trimmed of excess fat and any sinewy membrane. A thin layer of fat can be left on the roast so it will baste as it cooks.

Roasts can be purchased boneless or with the bone in. Bone-in roasts stay moister but require a longer cooking time.

Roasts can be cooked at high, medium or low heat. The temperature should be matched to the cut or meat you are going to cook. High-heat roasting (400 degrees F or higher) will result in a roast with a crispy browned crust and is only appropriate for smaller cuts of meat, under 6" in diameter. Roasting at high-heat requires a shorter cooking time and is suitable for prime beef, lamb or veal. Always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

Low-heat roasting is a method in which you sear the roast in a hot

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Madiera

oven (425 to 500 degrees F) and then reduce the heat to low (250 degrees F) for the remainder of the cooking time. The high-heat at the beginning will brown the crust and the low-heat will keep the meat moist and allow it to become tender. Low-heat roasting is suitable for leaner cuts of meat and cuts from the shoulder and rump.

Medium-heat roasting (325 to 350 degrees F) is most suitable for larger cuts such as leg of lamb or pork shoulder.

Larger roasts should be placed on the lower third rack of the oven and smaller roasts should be placed on the center rack. The goal is to place the top of the roast as close to the upper-middle part of the oven as possible.

Pot Roasts , Braising and Browning

Beef Pot Roast with Prunes

Braising

Braising is a method of cooking with a small amount of water in a covered pot or pan. A pot roast is a braise made with a 3-5 pound piece of meat. The first step in braising is to brown the meat in fat. Fats will enhance the flavor and ensure that the meat will brown evenly. Fats can be oils, butter or rendered fat from bacon or ham.

Browning

Browning the meat is an important step that will provide the underlying flavor of the finished product. Although most professional cooks no longer subscribe to the theory that searing seals in meat juices, browning does give meat a rich flavor. Proper browning should be done in a hot pan, hot enough to sizzle and cook, but not so hot that it will burn the meat. The meat should be dry when added to the pan. If you are browning meat and vegetables, they should be browned separately and in small enough batches so that the food is not crowded in the pan. Browning takes time; a large pot roast will take about 15 to 20 minutes to brown.

Once the meat has been browned, it is time to add liquid. A variety of liquids can be used and all will enhance and add different flavors to the roast. Common choices are gf beef stock, wine, juice from canned tomatoes or any combination of liquids. As soon as the liquid has been added, scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. The browned bits carry the flavor and will blend with the liquid.

The final, but no less important step of preparing the perfect pot roast, is to develop the texture of the sauce or liquid. Some of the thickening will happen naturally as the collagen cooks and breaks down. The melted collagen will add body and substenance to the sauce. In addition, you can add gf flour to thicken the sauce. The meat can be coated with gf flour before browning or just before the roast is done with a mixture of butter and gf flour (start with a small and equal amount of butter and gf flour: 1 Tablespoon each) added to the liquid. If you prefer the sauce without flour, you can remove the meat and cook the sauce down until it reduces and thickens.

Roasting Temperatures

An instant-read meat thermometer is necessary to determine the doneness of your roast. Most recipes will give an approximation of cooking time, but a meat thermometer is the only way to accurately gage the internal temperature of a roast due to the many variables involved in the process; the accuracy of the oven, the shape and thickness of the meat, fat and bone content and the temperature of the meat before going into the oven. To check the meat’s temperature, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat away from the bone or fat. Check the temperature towards the end of the cooking time. When the temperature is within 15 degrees of your desired temperature, check it every 10 minutes as the temperature will rise quickly from that point. All roasts should ‘rest’ after cooking, up to 30 minutes. During this time the roast will continue to cook and the temperature continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees, so to reach your desired temperature, remove the roast from the oven when it registers 5 to 10 degrees lower than desired. To let the roast rest, remove the oven and cover loosely with foil.

Roasting cooking temperatures for meat are:

• High-heat Over 400 degrees F
• Moderate-heat 325-350 degrees F
• Low-heat Sear at 425-500 degrees F, then reduce heat to 250 degrees F

Final cooked temperatures for meat are:

Beef and Lamb

• Rare 120-130 degrees F
• Medium-rare 130-135 degrees F
• Medium 140-150 degrees F
• Medium-well 155-165 degrees F
• Well-done 170-185 degrees F

Pork

• Medium 155-165 degrees F
• Well-done 180-185 degrees F

Veal

• Medium 145-155 degrees F

Tying a Roast

Tying a roast will ensure even cooking and give a roast a nice even shape. Roasts that have been boned or that will not hold together should be tied. To tie a roast, simply form the meat into a nice shape with any loose pieces tucked in. Tie the meat with butcher string by wrapping the string around the meat every 1-1/2 to 2 inches. When the roast is tied all the way, wrap the string around the length of the roast and secure with a knot. Remove the string after roasting and before carving.

Types of Roasts

Beef Roast with Glazed Onions

There are many types of beef, pork, lamb and even veal roasts. The following are the most common cuts available today.

Beef

Rib roast, shoulder, sirloin, rump, chuck, top round, and blade

Pork

Center loin, shoulder or butt, bone-in pork rack, sirloin, blade loin or rib end, leg or ham

Lamb

Leg; whole leg bone-in, butterflied leg, loin

Veal

Rib roast, loin, shoulder, chuck, leg, top round and veal breast

Essential Equipment

If you do not have any of the essential equipment suggested for this class, you can purchase it through our affiliate at www.cooking.com.

Roasting pans

The roasting pan you select should be just large enough to hold the roast. It should not be much larger or so small that the meat touches the sides of the pan. Too large a pan will allow the juices and drippings to burn, compromising the flavor of the roast and ruining the flavor of any gravy you might make. Use a heavy, high-sided roasting pan. The sides of the pan should not be higher than the roast otherwise it will inhibit browning and distort the cooking time. Our choice are roasting pans in various sizes by Caphalon.

Roasting racks

Roasting racks are available in a V-shape or the flat variety. If you use a rack, set it in the bottom of the roasting pan and the set the meat directly on the rack. A rack will keep the meat off the bottom of the pan and allow the meat to brown by letting the air circulate evenly around the roast.

Meat thermometer

An instant-read meat thermometer is necessary to get an accurate reading of the internal temperature of your roast.

Dutch oven

For pot roasts, choose a heavy Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid. Our choice is the Dutch oven by Caphalon.

- Glutenfreeda