Roasting and baking are two types of cooking techniques using the dry heat method. They are very similar in that they use dry heat (either from a flame, the oven, or other heat source) to cook the food. The difference is that the food is kept whole during roasting, and typically involves a browning process called Maillard Reaction (pronounced mī′yär rē′ak·shən) prior to the actual roasting of the food. In contrast, the baking process are done with individually portioned items and bypasses the browning of the food before baking.

Since this method of cooking uses heated air circulating around the food, it is important to keep in mind that the fattier the food item is being roasted, the more moisture it will retain during cooking. Leaner meats like poultry and today’s cuts of pork have a tendency of drying out especially if the meat is even a little overcooked. A couple of ways to remedy this for leaner meats is to either inject them with seasoned liquid such as a brine mixture or stock, or soak them in a brine solution (brining) prior to cooking.

Brining:

Brining is a process of soaking food items in a liquid solution that includes water and salt as its basic ingredients. In the past, brining was done to preserve meats by extracting moisture to extend shelf life and prevent the meat from spoiling. Since the advent of mechanical refrigeration, this process has been abandoned by almost all meat processors.

Today, brining is used primarily to add flavor and moisture to the food prior to cooking. This will often be referred to as “flavor brining”.

(See the article by Julia Collin on The Basics of Brining)

Maillard Reaction:

This browning process is a very important step in roasting foods, especially meats; and is often referred to as "searing". It intensifies the flavor of the food and adds to the presentation during serving.

The maillard reaction is achieved when amino acids react with a reducing sugar when heat is introduced. It is named after Louis-Camille Maillard, the chemist who first introduced it in the 1910s while attempting to reproduce biological protein synthesis.

The maillard reaction occurs at temperatures 285°F (140°C) or above and can be done over a stovetop or in the oven. For this reaction to take place there needs to be three factors present – High heat, low moisture levels and high alkaline conditions.

Ø On the stovetop – The cooking vessels ideal for this procedure are made of stainless steel materials.

1. Heat the cooking vessel prior to adding the oil (to gauge the temperature of the cooking vessel, check out this video from Rouxbe).

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2. Once the cooking vessel is at the correct temperature, add the oil.

3. Make sure to pat the surface of the food dry prior to seasoning and placing in the cooking vessel. Excess moisture in the surface of food will cause oil splatter.

4. Brown the food on all sides before continuing with the next steps of your cooking process.

Ø In the oven – The only requirement regarding cooking vessels using this method is that it be oven safe at higher temperatures.

1. Heat the oven to at least 285°F (140°C) for smaller sized foods, all the way up to 400°F (204°C) for larger sized food like whole turkey.

2. Place the food item in the cooking vessel large enough for the air to circulate around the food. Typically the cooking vessel is the same one that the food will be finished in. In lieu of this, roasting food should be elevated high enough from the bottom of the pan so as not to have contact with any liquid that escapes from the meat during the cooking process (remember, roasting is a dry heat cooking method). Food can be elevated using racks or chunks of vegetables like large cuts of carrots, celery, and onions. As with the stovetop method, it is important to make sure that the surface of the food is patted dry of excess moisture.

3. Place the cooking vessel with the food to be browned in the oven and brown to the desired color intensity.

4. Reduce the temperature of the oven and continue with the next steps of your cooking process.

Finishing:

Once the brining and browning process is done, the rest of the roasting process is very simple. The main points to remember here is the size of the food being roasted typically determines the temperature and cooking time.

Ø Slow Roasting uses temperatures between 200° - 325°F (90° - 160°C) and are ideal for larger cuts of meats and whole large poultry. The benefit to these temperatures is less moisture loss and a tender finished product. The muscles of the meat tend to lose a lot of water at higher temperature rates.

Ø High temperatures are typically used for roasting smaller cuts of meats like fillet mignon or strip loin that are small enough to finish cooking before the juices escape.

As with roasting, one important factor to keep in mind is that the more internal moisture the food item has, the faster it will cook.

Meats should be allowed to rest after the cooking process. This allows the moisture that is driven toward the center of the meat during cooking to be redistributed as the protein molecules relax and are able to reabsorb some moisture. As a result, less juice runs out of the meat when you cut into it. The larger the food item is, the longer the rest period. Smaller items like individually portioned steaks or chicken breasts can rest between 5 - 7 minutes, and larger items like whole turkey or beef roasts can rest between 10 - 15 minutes prior to carving.

It is also important to realize that foods continue to cook even after it is removed from the heat. This is called "carry over cooking" or "residual heat cooking". This being said, it is ideal to remove the food from the heat source prior to reaching the ideal cooked temperature, and tented with aluminum foil to take advantage of this carry over cooking stage during the rest period. Smaller items can be taken out at least 5 degrees prior to final temperature, and larger items can be taken out at least 10 degrees prior to final temperature. (Click here for a guide on how to use a meat thermometer and temperature chart for each type of meat).

We’re all conspiring to be gourmet so cook to your heart’s content!