About roasting
Roasting is a way to cook food in an uncovered pan in the oven. When food is roasted hot air surrounds the food, cooking it evenly on all sides.
Equipment
You can roast food in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet with sides. You can also use many other kitchen items like a large cake pan, a casserole dish or the broiler pan that came with your oven. It just needs to be large enough for the food you want to roast and be safe to put in the oven.
Tips for successful roasting
Roasting may sound hard, but it can be easy. Roasting works well with tougher cuts of meat. It is also a great way to prepare delicious vegetables.
To roast meat
- Place the meat, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow pan.
- Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
- Heat the oven to 300º F to 350º F .Place the pan in the hot oven. Cook the meat until the thermometer reaches a safe temperature. Roasting meat at a low temperature keeps it moist and tender.
- Let the meat stand for 15 minutes before cutting. This keeps juices from running out of the meat. Keeping the juices in the meat will make it more tender and juicier.
USDA safe temperatures
- Beef Roasts 145º F
- Pork Roasts 145º F
- Poultry 165º F
Allow the meat to stand for 15 minutes before carving to keep juices from running out of the meat. Keeping the juices in the meat will make it more tender and juicy.
Roasting vegetables
Roasted vegetables taste great and are easy to make. Just about any vegetable can be roasted. Follow the simple steps below.
To roast vegetables
- Chop vegetables into pieces, usually about a 1-inch cubes.
- Mix the vegetables with olive oil, herbs and spices. Coat the vegetables with oil to keep them moist. The oil also helps them not stick to the pan.
- Put vegetables on a baking sheet. Don’t crowd; they should be in a single layer.
- Stir your vegetables about every 10-15 minutes. This will help them all cook evenly.
- Roast vegetables at 400ºF and above.
Roasting brings out the flavor in many foods. Try roasting some of these vegetables:
- Summer squash
- Asparagus
- Root vegetables like carrots, turnips or beets
Benefits of roasting
- Roasting meat may be left alone for several hours. You can do other things while you are waiting for your food to roast.
- Roasting food brings out the sweet flavor of foods like vegetables. People who think they hate vegetables may change their minds when they taste roasted ones!
- Roasting brings out the color of many foods.