How to Roast Meat
Select a heat source., Select a roasting vessel., Bring meat to room temperature before roasting., Roast meat uncovered., Start meat at a higher heat, then lower the temperature., Rest the meat after roasting.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Select a heat source.
Conventional ovens are the most basic way of roasting meat, while convection ovens will use circulating air to speed up the cooking process slightly.
The cooking times for convection ovens will be slightly lower for all kinds of meat.
While most meat is roasted in a traditional conventional oven, meat can be roasted in a variety of ways:
Cooking indoors in a conventional oven is the most common way of roasting meats.
Meat should be roasted in the middle of the rack, at a temperature between 280 and 400 degrees F.
Leaner meats should be roasted at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time while fattier meats should be roasted low and slow.
Roasting pits and tandoors are very hot electric or wood-fire ovens that can be used to roast meat very quickly.
In some regions, these are very common methods of commercial cooking, roasting meats at upward of 500 or 600 °F (260 or 316 °C) for a short period of time, which results in very juicy, crispy meat.
Outdoor charcoal grills or smokers can be used to roast meat, though this is more typically called barbecuing, or smoking.
Still, it fits the bill of cooking meat at a low temperature for a long period of time over indirect heat, provided you have a coal chimney to heat the cooking chamber.
This is a particularly common way of cooking pork. -
Step 2: Select a roasting vessel.
Meat needs to be placed on or into some kind of dish to keep the juices from flowing all over the oven or the heat source.
Typically, roasting pans are used, but different meats will need to be roasted in different vessels.
If you don't have one, disposable roasting pans are available at all grocery stores, or you can fold one out of aluminum foil.
Roasting pans should be used for beef, poultry, lamb, and anything that you want to cook on top of vegetables.
While the bottom of the meat won't be "crusted," cooking in a roasting pan is the easiest method.
Roasting racks can be used to cook the meat on all sides.
These are typically used for things like lamb, so the meat can sit up off the pan, and allow the juices to drip through to a pan underneath.
This is an excellent method of roasting to collect juices for gravy.
Rotisseries are often used for cooking chickens, turning the meat continuously to achieve an even roast.
While these are relatively uncommon for home cooking, some small single-chicken sized rotisseries are commercially available. , Large roasts, chickens, and other big cuts of meat that you're planning to roast need to be set out on the counter for a few hours before you put them in the oven, bringing the meat up to room temperature.
This is to ensure that the meat cooks evenly, and that you don't have a blackened outside with a nearly-raw inside on a big cut of beef.
Taking cold meat directly out of the fridge and putting it into the hot oven will heat up the outside first, while the inside remains cold.
It's very difficult to cook meat properly without letting it come up to room temperature first.
Always thaw frozen meat thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight before attempting to roast it.
Let it come up to room temperature as normal. , To caramelize the outside of the roast, meat should typically be roasted uncovered for the entirety of the cooking process, then covered after removing it from the oven, to rest the meat appropriately before carving it.
Covering the meat will not make it juicier or more tender.
Cooking it properly will.
It's also important that you do not add any liquid to the bottom of the pan to keep the meat moist.
This is a process called braising, an effective cooking technique in and of itself, but it's not done when you're roasting. , Different meats will be roasted at different temperatures, anywhere between 280 F and 400 F, depending on the dish you're making and the cut.
Typically, though, meat is started at a higher temperature, cooked for 15 or 20 minutes, then the temperature is lowered to around 350 or 375 F, while the meat roasts for several hours.
Specific directions for different types of meat are discussed in the following sections.
Tender cuts, like filets and tenderloins should be roasted at a higher temperature the whole time, for a shorter period of time.
These cuts do not benefit from "low and slow" cooking, which helps to tenderize tougher or cheaper cuts, like pork shoulder or chuck roast.
Always make sure the oven has fully pre-heated before putting the meat into it.
You don't want to gradually bring the meat up, you want to put it into a fully-hot oven.
This will help to cook the meat more evenly and keep it juicy.
There'll be less guess-work if you do it right. , Meat is comprised of tightly woven strands of protein, which release water as the temperature is increased.
This mixes with the fat in the meat that renders as it heats, creating the flavorful juices that make meat taste good.
If you cut immediately into a very hot piece of meat, those juices will run right out of the meat and onto the plate.
Letting the fibers relax some by lowering the temperature slightly, letting the meat sit covered for 10-20 minutes, will reabsorb those juices into the meat and the meat will taste better.
This is why all meat, especially beef and poultry, should be rested. -
Step 3: Bring meat to room temperature before roasting.
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Step 4: Roast meat uncovered.
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Step 5: Start meat at a higher heat
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Step 6: then lower the temperature.
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Step 7: Rest the meat after roasting.
Detailed Guide
Conventional ovens are the most basic way of roasting meat, while convection ovens will use circulating air to speed up the cooking process slightly.
The cooking times for convection ovens will be slightly lower for all kinds of meat.
While most meat is roasted in a traditional conventional oven, meat can be roasted in a variety of ways:
Cooking indoors in a conventional oven is the most common way of roasting meats.
Meat should be roasted in the middle of the rack, at a temperature between 280 and 400 degrees F.
Leaner meats should be roasted at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time while fattier meats should be roasted low and slow.
Roasting pits and tandoors are very hot electric or wood-fire ovens that can be used to roast meat very quickly.
In some regions, these are very common methods of commercial cooking, roasting meats at upward of 500 or 600 °F (260 or 316 °C) for a short period of time, which results in very juicy, crispy meat.
Outdoor charcoal grills or smokers can be used to roast meat, though this is more typically called barbecuing, or smoking.
Still, it fits the bill of cooking meat at a low temperature for a long period of time over indirect heat, provided you have a coal chimney to heat the cooking chamber.
This is a particularly common way of cooking pork.
Meat needs to be placed on or into some kind of dish to keep the juices from flowing all over the oven or the heat source.
Typically, roasting pans are used, but different meats will need to be roasted in different vessels.
If you don't have one, disposable roasting pans are available at all grocery stores, or you can fold one out of aluminum foil.
Roasting pans should be used for beef, poultry, lamb, and anything that you want to cook on top of vegetables.
While the bottom of the meat won't be "crusted," cooking in a roasting pan is the easiest method.
Roasting racks can be used to cook the meat on all sides.
These are typically used for things like lamb, so the meat can sit up off the pan, and allow the juices to drip through to a pan underneath.
This is an excellent method of roasting to collect juices for gravy.
Rotisseries are often used for cooking chickens, turning the meat continuously to achieve an even roast.
While these are relatively uncommon for home cooking, some small single-chicken sized rotisseries are commercially available. , Large roasts, chickens, and other big cuts of meat that you're planning to roast need to be set out on the counter for a few hours before you put them in the oven, bringing the meat up to room temperature.
This is to ensure that the meat cooks evenly, and that you don't have a blackened outside with a nearly-raw inside on a big cut of beef.
Taking cold meat directly out of the fridge and putting it into the hot oven will heat up the outside first, while the inside remains cold.
It's very difficult to cook meat properly without letting it come up to room temperature first.
Always thaw frozen meat thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight before attempting to roast it.
Let it come up to room temperature as normal. , To caramelize the outside of the roast, meat should typically be roasted uncovered for the entirety of the cooking process, then covered after removing it from the oven, to rest the meat appropriately before carving it.
Covering the meat will not make it juicier or more tender.
Cooking it properly will.
It's also important that you do not add any liquid to the bottom of the pan to keep the meat moist.
This is a process called braising, an effective cooking technique in and of itself, but it's not done when you're roasting. , Different meats will be roasted at different temperatures, anywhere between 280 F and 400 F, depending on the dish you're making and the cut.
Typically, though, meat is started at a higher temperature, cooked for 15 or 20 minutes, then the temperature is lowered to around 350 or 375 F, while the meat roasts for several hours.
Specific directions for different types of meat are discussed in the following sections.
Tender cuts, like filets and tenderloins should be roasted at a higher temperature the whole time, for a shorter period of time.
These cuts do not benefit from "low and slow" cooking, which helps to tenderize tougher or cheaper cuts, like pork shoulder or chuck roast.
Always make sure the oven has fully pre-heated before putting the meat into it.
You don't want to gradually bring the meat up, you want to put it into a fully-hot oven.
This will help to cook the meat more evenly and keep it juicy.
There'll be less guess-work if you do it right. , Meat is comprised of tightly woven strands of protein, which release water as the temperature is increased.
This mixes with the fat in the meat that renders as it heats, creating the flavorful juices that make meat taste good.
If you cut immediately into a very hot piece of meat, those juices will run right out of the meat and onto the plate.
Letting the fibers relax some by lowering the temperature slightly, letting the meat sit covered for 10-20 minutes, will reabsorb those juices into the meat and the meat will taste better.
This is why all meat, especially beef and poultry, should be rested.
About the Author
Teresa Brown
A passionate writer with expertise in hobbies topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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