Understand roasting

Understand roasting. Roasting is a dry heat cooking method, which involves cooking food, uncovered, on a roasting pan in the oven. It is most often associated with large cuts of meat - whole chickens and turkeys, lean cuts of pork, lamb and beef, fillets of fish - but also works very well with vegetables.

• With roasting, the main focus should be on the flavor of the food itself - not on sauces or accompaniments, like in a stew or braise. The outside of the meat or vegetables should turn golden brown throughout cooking, while the insides remain moist.
• A good roasting pan should be used, which is placed on the middle shelf of the oven. Convection ovens are perfect for roasting in, as they allow hot air to circulate, resulting in evenly browned meat and vegetables.^[8]
• When roasting meat, many cooks believe that the meat should be suspended slightly above the bottom of the pan, to prevent it from cooking in its own juices. A roasting rack can be used for this purpose, or the meat can be placed on top of a pile of vegetables, serving the same purpose but also adding flavor.
• Food should never be covered when roasting. If the food is covered, it will cook in its own steam rather than the dry heat of the oven. However, you don't want the meat to dry out either, so leaner cuts of meat may need to be basted throughout cooking. Basting involves coating the outside of the meat with butter, oil, pan drippings or some form of sauce during cooking.
• The best way to tell if a meat has been roasted to perfection is to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. Each type of meat has an ideal internal temperature, which should be indicated on whatever recipe you are following.^[9]
• When roasted meat is taken out of the oven, it should be allowed to rest for a few minutes before carving. This allows it to finish cooking and "relax" slightly, making it easier to slice.

Resource: wikihow.com