Roasting is a way to prepare comfort food at its best — good food, simply prepared, without a lot of gussying or gimmicks. It also cozies up the kitchen on a winter evening.
That "roasted" aroma and flavor are part of the caramelizing effects of dry heat, said Tara Bench, who did lots of roasting and other cooking during the six years she spent at Martha Stewart Omnimedia Inc.
As a senior food editor, Bench developed recipes and stories for Martha Stewart Living, Kids, Weddings and Everyday Food magazines. Bench left her post last May to freelance in food styling and recipe development for other magazines, such as Real Simple and All You. While visiting her family in Orem during the holidays, Bench offered some cooking classes.
In her class on roasting, Bench demonstrated some of the techniques from her roasting story that ran in Martha Stewart Living a couple of years ago.
Bench cleared up one misconception: Roasting is cooking with dry heat. It's the same concept as baking, although that's a term usually associated with pastries or cakes.
When you're truly roasting, you don't cover the meats or vegetables, or put a lid over the pan. When people make a pot roast, that's not really roasting but "braising," because moisture is used to steam and cook the meat.
During roasting, the melting fat in the meat adds juiciness and flavor. The heat browns and caramelizes the carbohydrates, giving it the "roasted" flavor. Vegetables are sweeter, and onions and garlic lose their bitter bite.
A few things to remember about roasting:
It's best on tender cuts of meat. Look for roasts with a lot of fat marbled throughout. Or look for a tenderloin cut, which doesn't have a lot of fat but is very tender, Bench advised.
In her class, Bench used an eye of round roast. Cuts that come from the animal's legs and shoulder are tougher, and those are best slowly braised in a little liquid.
Cut food in uniform pieces so it cooks evenly.
"This is why you tie a roast together, to create uniform cooking," Bench said. "Or why you tuck in the legs of the chicken, so they're not sticking out and getting burned."
The meat is usually placed on a metal rack that fits inside a shallow roasting pan, so dry heat can surround the roast.
"If you don't have a rack, the meat will still cook beautifully, but it will end up cooking and steaming in its own juices, which would be steaming," Bench said. With some dishes, Bench placed meats or fish on a bed of onions or citrus slices, which acted as a rack and added flavor.
Large roasts will continue to cook outside the oven. Use a meat thermometer so you don't over- or undercook. If the final temperature should be 160 degrees, take the meat out at 155 degrees and allow it to "rest" for 10-15 minutes. Then check the temperature again to make sure the meat has risen to 160 degrees. This resting period also "allows the muscles of the meat to relax and gather up all of the juices again," said Bench.
"Barding" adds juiciness and flavor. Bench covered a pork loin roast with strips of bacon and tied them on the roast with kitchen twine before roasting.
You can use a spice rub on meats. Allow the meat to sit in the refrigerator a few hours to "dry marinate" before roasting.
If certain parts of the chicken, turkey or other meats are cooking more quickly, cover them with bits of foil so they cook more evenly.
When the roast is done, the drippings make a flavorful pan sauce or gravy. Deglaze the pan by adding a liquid, such as chicken stock, to soak up all the browned bits and residue stuck to the pan. Whisk this mixture on the stove top. For a pan sauce, keep cooking and stirring to reduce the liquid into a sauce. For gravy, whisk in a "slurry" of cornstarch or flour mixed in cold water to thicken the sauce.
Recipes from Tara Bench
ROAST PORK LOIN
Pork loin roast
4-6 slices bacon
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Overlap bacon slices to cover the outside surface of the meat. This is called barding. Tie in place with kitchen string or twine. Rub garlic on the bacon and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Roast at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes per pound. Check temperature with meat thermometer; at 150 to 155 degrees, take the pork out of the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Final temperature should be 160.
PORK TENDERLOIN
1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup white wine or 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup apricot jam or preserves
Season tenderloin with salt and pepper (or rub with your favorite spice rub mix or garlic). Heat a small amount of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet and brown the roast on all sides, about 5 minutes. Place skillet in a 400-degree oven and finish cooking until temperature reaches 150 degrees (check after 15 minutes). Transfer to a plate and allow meat to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes. The temperature should rise to 160 degrees (the meat should have a faint blush of pink).
Deglaze the skillet by adding wine or chicken stock to dissolve the browned drippings in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, and stir in apricot jam or preserves. Serve pork with apricot sauce.
STUFFED BEEF ROAST
1 eye of round roast, about 3-3 1/2 pounds
1/3 cup (3 ounces) cream cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons capers, coarsely chopped
Several cups of spinach, or 6 Swiss chard leaves
Slice meat in a spiral to spread it into a flat surface. With a fork, mash together stuffing ingredients except spinach or swiss chard. Spread the mixture on the meat's surface and cover with a layer of spinach leaves. Roll and tie the roast in 3 places. Stick wooden skewers through the ends of the meat to keep filling from falling out. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 375 degrees, until internal temperature is 120 degrees (about 1 hour). Increase heat to 500 degrees to crisp surface, about 10 minutes. When thermometer registers 150 degrees, remove meat from oven and allow to rest 10-15 minutes before serving. To serve, slice across the grain to show the spiraled filling.
ROASTED WHOLE FISH
1 whole fish (such as a trout)
Sliced onions or lemons
Any combination of fresh herbs, fennel, onions, shallots, garlic
Rinse fish thoroughly under cold water; remove any debris from the cavity with a spoon; pat dry. Season cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with desired ingredients. Tie with kitchen twine in two or three places. Rub fish with oil and place on rack of onions or lemons or directly into pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, until flesh is opaque and flaky.
ROAST FISH
Zest of lemon and/or orange
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper or 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salmon or other fish
Lemon and orange slices
Mix citrus zest, salt, sugar, pepper and coriander. Rub on fish. Wrap fish in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator and wipe most of the rub mixture off the fish. Place fish skin-side down on a bed of sliced oranges and lemons in glass baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until flesh is opaque and flaky, about 12-15 minutes.
ROAST WHOLE CHICKEN
1 whole chicken
Butter or oil
Chinese five-spice powder
Orange slices
Herbs, garlic, onions if desired
Salt and pepper
Rinse bird under water and pat dry with paper towels. Run your fingers underneath the skin to separate it from the flesh. Use your fingers to spread the five-spice powder and orange slices beneath the skin. Rub skin with butter or oil so that skin will crisp, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stuff inner cavity with remaining orange pieces, herbs, garlic or onions as desired. Tie legs together and tuck wings underneath. Roast in a shallow pan at 400 degrees, until temperature registers 180 degrees at thickest part of leg. Baste about every 15 minutes with juices or melted butter. A big bird will take 1 1/2 hours.
BABA GHANOUSH
1 eggplant
1/2 clove garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
Chopped parsley for garnish
Pierce the skin of the eggplant in several places. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until soft, 35-40 minutes. Cool. Slice open and scoop out flesh. Place in a food processor with other ingredients and pulse until smooth. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted pita wedges.
ROAST VEGETABLES
Carrots and parsnips: Peel and slice vegetables into french fry-size sticks. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees, turning occasionally, until tender and caramelized to an amber brown. Carrots take about 35 minutes; parsnips, a few minutes less.
Plum tomatoes: Cut in half, remove seeds and stems. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh herbs, such as marjoram or thyme. Roast at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast for 1 hour and 45 minutes. These are great on their own or in salads, sandwiches and pastas.
Zucchini: Cut into 1 -inch thick rounds. Toss in a baking pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees, turning occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Garlic: Take a whole head of garlic, trim top about 1/4 inch. Place in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and cover dish with foil. Roast at 425 degrees until soft, about 40 minutes. To use, squeeze the soft cloves from out of their skins. Mix with a little balsamic vinegar and rosemary to make a roasted garlic spread for bread.
Onions: Cut in wedges, leaving root ends intact, and peel. Toss in olive oil in a baking pan and roast at 400 degrees about 50 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove root and puree onions in a food processor. This "onion jam" peps up steaks and sandwiches, and it can be stored up to a week in the refrigerator.
Shallots: Cut 1/4 inch off tip, leaving root and skins. Toss with olive oil and salt and roast at 400 degrees, turning occasionally, until soft, about 45 minutes.
Potatoes: Toss small potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and desired herbs. Roast at 425 degrees until tender, about 35 minutes. Or toss peeled potato chunks with heavy cream mixed with a little dry mustard and salt. Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
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