Roasting is an easy way to make all sorts of cuts of meat delicious. Simply put, roasting is the technique of cooking with a dry heat in the oven. Hot air surrounds the food to slowly and evenly cook it. Roasting is especially excellent at taking a less expensive, less tender cut of meat and turning it into a delicious, well, roast. Today, we’ll give you some tips on how to set up for roasting and then share our four easy steps to turn out delicious roast meat, complete with time and temperature guidelines.
First, we recommend using a high quality metal roasting pan with either a v rack or normal rack on it. This will elevate the meat off the pan and help it cook evenly. We also recommend lining your roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
What types of meat are good for roasting? The short answer is any larger, thicker cut of meat can be roasted. Beef roasts are called roasts because they’re good for roasting, so anything from a chuck roast, to a round roast, to a rib roast to even a tenderloin roast roasts well. Pork loin roasts are one of my favorite items to roast and whole roast chicken is a classic roasted item, although chicken breasts can be carefully roasted as well.
Now that you have your meat picked out, it’s time for the first step of roasting – seasoning your food. Start by patting your meat dry, we don’t want any excess moisture on the meat before cooking. That will interfere with developing rich, browned flavor on the outside of the meat. Next, season your meat to taste. A simple salt and pepper seasoning will work on anything but if you want to add more flavor consider using a premade seasoning blend or something you whip up at home. Our Ultimate Steak and Roast Rub is a great addition to beef roasts while an Herbes de Provence mix is wonderful on a Pork Loin Roast and a Lemon Pepper mix brightens up chicken. Whichever seasoning you pick, season more or less, depending on your taste, but be sure to season the entire piece of meat, and after seasoning, let it rest for about 30 minutes before roasting to allow the seasoning to start working into the meat.
Our second step is optional, but helpful. This step is searing the outside of your meat. Beef roasts especially enjoy a nice sear before being roasted, while it’s not necessary to sear a piece of chicken before you roast it. To sear, simply heat up a sauté pan with some oil and quickly cook all sides of your seasoned beef or pork roast. For more complete directions, check out our guide to sautéing. Once you’ve seared all sides, set the meat into your roasting pan.
After seasoning and searing, it’s time to roast. Put your meat into your roasting pan and into a preheated oven. Then let it sit. Don’t open the oven. Don’t poke and prod it. Just let it sit. For beef and lamb, heat the oven to 325 degrees and roast for about 25 minutes per pound. Pull the meat when it reaches 140 degrees for medium rare. For pork, also heat to 325 degrees, but only roast for about 25 minutes per pound. Remove at 140 degrees. We cook poultry a little hotter – 375 degrees and cook for 30 minutes per pound until it reaches 160 degrees. Chicken breasts will take less time, about 20 minutes per pound, so watch those closely.
Our final step is to remove the meat and let it rest. This is maybe the hardest step because the food smells so good, but it’s an essential step! Once the beef, lamb or pork has reached 140 degrees or the chicken has reached 160, pull it from the oven, cover it in foil and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. This will let the meat gently finish cooking and raise the temperature about 5 degrees. It will also redistribute the juices from the outside of the surface to being all through the meat. It will make each bite better and save you a mess on your cutting board! After resting, go ahead and carve your meat into slices or parts if you’re roasting a whole bird and serve.
Thanks for reading our guide to roasting, it’s an easy and versatile technique that can make a delicious meal out of almost any cut of meat. If you have more questions, stop by the store, or drop us a line. We’ll see you soon at Lake Geneva Country Meats!