3 Ways to Roast Meat (2024)

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Co-authored bySarena Nelson

Last Updated: December 28, 2022

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   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.
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   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.
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   Bring meat to room temperature before roasting. 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.
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   Roast meat uncovered. 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.
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   Start meat at a higher heat, then lower the temperature. 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.
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   Rest the meat after roasting. 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.^[1]

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   Pick an appropriate roast. Many cuts of beef are simplified and called “roasts,” which means you should have little trouble finding an appropriate cut at the grocery store. You want a cut with a decent amount of fat, which will melt in the oven and give the meat flavor. It also makes a nice base for gravy when the meat is roasted. Look for fresh, pink-colored meat without any grayness, and a good amount of fat marbling to roast. Common roasts include:

   • Prime rib
   • Tenderloin
   • Round roast
   • Chuck roast
   • Fillet
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   Season beef simply. You can get fancy with rubs and marinades, but the truth of the matter is beef is best served with the simplest seasonings. Roasted beef tastes better uncluttered. Season your roast immediately before putting it in the oven, when it's up to room temperature.

   • Coat the beef liberally with a fat source, like gram oil, or whatever your favorite cooking oil is. Butter or herbed butter is also a perfectly effective way of coating your meat for a delicious nutty-finish on the crust.
   • Salt and black pepper should be sprinkled liberally on each side of beef. Use your hands and pat it in gently, so the seasoning sticks.
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   Cook in a roasting pan on a bed of chopped vegetables. The best way to cook a beef roast is in a pan on seasonally-appropriate vegetables. As the juices run out of the meat, they'll help to cook and flavor the vegetables, which will end up tasting delicious, and forming the base for a great gravy, if you want to strain it out. You can also just serve up the vegetables as a side. Couldn't be easier.

   • Try roughly chopping carrots, onions, and red-skin potatoes and lining them in the bottom of the pan. You don't have to season them now. When you've seasoned your beef, rest it directly on top of the vegetables and you're ready to go.
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   Consider trussing the roast to a uniform shape. Some oblong roasts or stuffed roasts are commonly trussed with cooking twine, to make the meat into a more uniform shape and allow it to cook more evenly, holding its shape as it cooks. This does not need to be done on all roasts, but if you've butterflied a cut and stuffed it with something, you'll likely need to truss it up before you roast it.

   • To truss a cut of beef, you don't have to get fancy. Just use three links of kitchen twine and tie up the meat into an even log-shaped bundle. Tie tightly, so the meat remains secure in the intended shape.
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   Consider searing the roast in a skillet first. Rather than roasting at a higher temperature and then finishing lower, beef is commonly seared in a skillet first, then finished in the oven, much as you might cook a steak. This is done when making beef wellington, and other dishes.

   • To sear a roast, heat some cooking oil over high heat in a cast iron pan. Place the meat into the skillet just as the oil starts to smoke. It should sizzle immediately. If it doesn't, remove the meat and wait longer. Brown the meat on each side, then place it in the roasting pan and put it in the oven.
   • Don't remove or trim fat from meat that you're going to roast. It'll melt and make everything else taste delicious.
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   Cook beef at 325°F (163°C) for 30 minutes per pound of meat. Different sized roasts will need to cook for different periods of time, but a good rule of thumb is 30 minutes per pound. If you're using a meat thermometer, meat should be removed when it’s about 10 degrees cooler than the eventual internal temperature you’re looking for. Here's a breakdown of the different grades of doneness in a beef roast. Typically, beef is a lot tastier cooked on the rare side, but cook it like you enjoy.

   • Rare beef has an internal temperature of between 120 and 130 degrees, and it should be a bright and purple color on the inside. It should be very tender and juicy.
   • Medium-rare beef is between 130 and 135 degrees, and it should be slightly brighter and redder, and warmer through than rare beef.
   • Medium beef should be between 135 and 145 degrees, bright pink but slightly less juicy than medium-rare beef.
   • Medium-well beef is between 145 and 155 and is quite firm and tan-colored on the inside.
   • Well done beef is cooked above 155 and should be tan-colored all the way through and tough. In general, you shouldn't cook roasts well done.
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   Rest covered for 10-15 minutes. When the beef roast is nearly to the temperature you like, remove it from the oven and from the pan. Place it on a cutting board or platter, and cover the meat with aluminum foil. It will continue cooking as it rests, then the temperature will ease off slightly and the meat will be perfect to cook.

   • Slice beef thickly to avoid losing the heat. Slices should be generous, especially if the meat is cooked rarer, at least 3/4 of an inch thick.

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   Roast poultry whole. The best way to cook chickens, turkeys, and other game hens is to roast them whole. This requires the least amount of preparation and the most bang for your buck. It's the best way to roast juicy and flavorful chicken in the oven.

   • You can typically buy 3 or 5 pound roasting chickens at the supermarket, which make for perfect dinners. You don't have to break them down any before roasting.
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   Brine or marinate your poultry. Poultry can be seasoned simply and roasted in the oven with a minimum amount of fuss, but taking some time to marinade can really up the ante and make your bird delicious. Dressing up a simple marinade for a couple hours before you put the chicken in the oven, or overnight for more flavor, is a great way to improve the flavor of the meat and make it delicious.^[2]

   • Before you marinate, take a small kitchen knife and make little straight cuts into the breast, the legs, and the rest of the chicken, on all sides. Use the point and stab straight in until you get to the bone. This will help to get the marinade into the meat, not just the skin.
   • The simple French method of roasting a chicken is to take two whole lemons, a whole bulb of garlic, and some fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Juice the lemons into a bowl, and cut the head of garlic in half. Season with the herbs (sage, rosemary, or other savory green herbs would also be fine), and place the chicken breast-down in the juices for several hours. Refrigerate. Before roasting the chicken, stuff the cavity with the lemons, the garlic, and the herbs.
   • Brining poultry involves soaking the meat in a mixture of warm water, sugar, and salt overnight to imbue the meat with juices and flavor. Drain brined chicken or turkey thoroughly before roasting.
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   Season the outside and the inside. Even if you've marinated your poultry, it's a good idea to season it liberally with salt and pepper, both inside the cavity and out. This helps to season the meat from all angles and give the meat the most flavor while it cooks. The saltiness will transfer throughout the meat as it releases its juices.

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   Truss the legs simply. Before you put poultry in the oven, tie the legs together using kitchen twine. This helps to cook the chicken evenly and make sure any stuffing will remain inside the bird. If left untied, the legs of the poultry will cook more quickly and will become very dry, if they're not kept in tight to the rest of the bird, cooking more evenly.

   • There are a lot of fancy ways to truss a chicken, but the simplest is just to tie the legs together with a small piece of twine. Make a simple bow knot and call it a day.
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   Roast poultry in a roasting pan. Like beef, poultry is usually best roasted in a pan on top of a bed of seasonal vegetables, like onions and carrots. Cut big chunks of whatever you want in the bottom of the pan, then lay the chicken on top of it.

   • Avoid roasting bags. A common gimmick at supermarkets are plastic roasting bags, which supposedly speed up the cooking time by turning conventional ovens into microwave-like super-heaters. The chicken cooked in these bags is soggy, though, losing much of the benefit of roasting in the oven. Take the time to do it right.
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   Start poultry at 425 F. All poultry should be started at a higher temperature, then lowered to around 350 F to continue cooking about 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes. Convection oven cooking times will be slightly lower. Turkeys, especially very large turkeys, may need slightly more cooking time than that.^[3]

   • You can baste poultry, if you want, but it's not super-necessary. Resting the meat appropriately and not overcooking it is the best way to assure that your poultry is juicy.
   • If you use a meat thermometer, check the thigh and the breast to make sure the meat is done. The thigh should be 180°F (82°C) and the breast should be 160 when the meat is cooked through.
   • Check to make sure the juices run clear. The easiest way to check the doneness of chicken is to take a knife and poke it into the joint between the leg and the lower part of the breast. The juices should run clear. If it's pinkish and cloudy, the chicken needs more time.

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