Roasting Meat

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 99, Issue 2, 15 August 1959, Page 179

Roasting Meat

By

MAUD B. STRAIN,

Home Science Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin

Meat is cooked to destroy possible disease-producing organisms and to increase its palatability. Cooking does not always increase the tenderness. Incorrect timing and temperatures can produce an entirely opposite effect and make the meat flavourless and indigestible. This article describes the method of roasting which has been found by experiment and experience to result in tender, juicy meat with the inside cooked to the right degree of "doneness" and the outside not hardened.

THE meat of any animal is largely made up of muscle tissue comprising bundles of muscle fibres. These are surrounded by connective tissue which attaches the fibres to one another. Each muscle fibre is a sort of tube that encloses a large part of the flavouring and food value of the muscle. Fat is intermingled with the muscle fibres and connective tissue. Meat well marbled with fat is usually more tender and better flavoured and the fat helps to retain the moisture in the. meat during cooking.

Changes during Cooking When it is cooked the meat changes from red or pinkish grey to brown and it loses weight and shrinks. Water and other volatile substances evaporate from the surface, and fat, water, and extracts escape from it. Heat coagulates the proteins (as egg white: sets when heated) and causes the muscle fibres to become firmer and shrink. If the temperature is too high, or the cooking period too long, the fibres become hard and dry-

The connective tissue is of two kinds; one is very elastic. and tough and is unaffected by cooking, but the other is softened and changed to gelatine by the prolonged action of moist heat/ The tenderness of cooked meat, therefore, depends on the composition of the meat and on the temperature and time of cooking.; The palatability of the meat is increased by • cooking because' of changes in colour, flavour, aroma, and texture. The protein sets and some of the water is squeezed. out, giving a firmer texture. The fat melts : and some on . the outside surface: is browned, which develops flavour and aroma.

The method of cooking to be used for any cut depends on the part of the carcass it comes from. The less exercised muscles give tender meat, but the more exercised ones will have stronger muscle fibres and more developed connective tissue and will be less tender. Correct cooking should increase the tenderness of the less tender cuts and not toughen the tender ones. It should give juicy meat, the centre being cooked and the surface not hardened. Methods of Cooking There are two basic methods of cooking meat: 1. Dry heat, for example, roasting, grilling, and dry frying. 2. Moist heat, for example, braising, and cooking in liquid (stewing, boiling). Frying (cooking in fat) is regarded as dry heat since no liquid is used. Dry Heat Roasting is cooking by hot air, as in an oven. Grilling is cooking by direct heat, as over hot coals, or under a gas flame or an electric unit. Dry frying (pan broiling) is cooking by heat which is transmitted to the meat from the hot metal of the frying pan rather than by direct heat as in grilling, and the fat is . poured off as it accumulates in the pan. Frying is done either in shallow fat, that is, in a small amount •of fat, or in deep fat where the food is completely immersed. Moist Heat Braising means browning, the meat in a small amount of fat, just sufficient to prevent it sticking to the pan, then covering it and cooking it slowly in its own juices or in a small amount of added liquid. Cooking in liquid, which is used both for stews and for boiling larger cuts, means cooking slowly in enough liquid to cover. Oven Temperature There is one rule of meat cookery that applies to all methods, and this rule cannot be given too much emphasis: Always cook meat at a low temperature. This is important for many reasons and should always be kept in mind. The value of the lowtemperature rule has been proved repeatedly by carefully controlled meat cookery experiments. It is particularly well illustrated by the following results of experimental work in roasting. Two roasts from the same animal, one from the right side and one from the left so that they would be as nearly identical as two roasts could be, were roasted, one at 300 degrees F and the other at 450 degrees F until

they reached the same degree of doneness as recorded by meat thermometers. When put in the oven they each weighed 12| lb. When cooked the one done at 300 degrees F weighed 10| lb and the one done at 450 degrees F weighed only 8{- lb. The low-temperature roast was juicy and uniformly cooked, while the high-temperature one was dark and charred. Only a moderate amount of drippings escaped from the low-temperature roast which meant that plenty of good meat juice was still retained in the joint, while the loss in drippings in the high-temperature roast was much larger. The difference in drippings was not only in the amount, but also in the characteristics. Those from the lowtemperature roast could be used to make delicious gravy, while the others were charred and dark and not desirable. Experiments based on cooking meat by other methods comparing high temperatures with low temperatures all proved that there is less loss, more tender meat, and better flavour when meat is cooked at a low temperature. Previously, roasted meats were always seared in a hot oven (.aouut 500 degrees F) for 20 to 30 minutes, then cooked at 300 to 350 degrees F for the rest of the time. The searing caused the surface proteins to coagulate rapidly and form a layer which it was thought prevented the loss of juices and nutrients. Investigations have shown that instead of decreasing losses from the roast, searing increased them. Searing is still done by many because they argue that the heat breaks down protein, and fats in the surface layer and so develops flavour and increased palatability. If this is the only reason for searing, why not do it at the end of the cooking time? The temperature can be raised to 450 degrees F for the last 15 to 20 minutes and this is useful when there are potatoes to brown or Yorkshire pudding to cook. Infernal Temperature A more uniformly cooked joint is produced by cooking at a constant temperature, and the lower this constant temperature is, the more uniform will be the degree of doneness. Beef is cooked rare when it reaches an internal temperature of 127 to 147 degrees F, medium done at 150 to 165 degrees F, and well done at 165 to 180 degrees F. Lamb is medium done at about 170 degrees F, and well done at 180 degrees F. Veal and pork, which are always served well done, are thoroughly cooked at an internal temperature of 170 degrees F and 185 degrees F respectively. An oven temperature of 300 degrees F is sufficiently high for all except pork, which, because it takes longer to cook than other meats, is for convenience cooked at 350 degrees F. Heat Penetration The size and shape of the joint, the amount of fat present, whether it is boned and rolled or still on the bone, all make a difference to the cooking time.

CUTS SUITABLE FOR ROASTING

Mutton, lamb, Beef hogget Pork Veal Rump Leg Chops Fillets Fillet or undercut Loin Loin Steak Sirloin Shoulder Crown roast Cutlets Prime ribs Loin chops Leg Loin Wing ribs Rib chops Shoulder Rolled ribs Cutlets

ROASTING TIMES

Approximate Oven Internal minutes per Meat temperature temperature pound (degrees F) (degrees F) Beef .. Rare .. 300 140 18 to 20 Medium .. 300 160 22 to 25 Well done . . 300 170 27 to 30 Veal .. Well done .. 300 170 25 to 30 Mutton . . Well done .. 300 180 30 to 35 Lamb .. Well done .. 300 180 30 to 35 Pork .. Well done .. 350 185 35 to 45 Chicken 300 to 325 45 to 55

A joint on the bone cooks in less time than it would if boned and rolled. A rib of beef on the bone cooked rare takes 18 to 20 minutes to the pound, but the same joint boned and rolled takes up to 30 minutes per pound for the same degree of doneness. A thick, chunky joint takes longer than a thin, broad one of similar weight. Meat which is well covered with fat cooks quickly. Meat Thermometer A meat thermometer is an aid in roasting because it is an accurate method of telling when the meat is cooked to the desired degree of doneness. It should be inserted so

that the bulb of the thermometer is in the thickest part of the meat, and it must not rest on bone or in fat, as then it will give a false reading. A tool provided with the thermometer makes the incision and a scale attached to the thermometer indicates when the internal temperature has reached the desired level. A timetable for roasting should be consulted for the approximate time the joint will take, so that this time can be correlated with those required for preparing and cooking other foods in the meal. Frozen meat can be cooked in the same way as fresh meat if it is thawed out slowly before being placed in the oven. If it is put in the oven frozen, its cooking time is approximately doubled. Cooking losses are also greater than if it is first thawed. Gravy After the cooked roast has been removed most of the fat is poured from the pan, leaving sufficient for making the desired amount of gravy. There should be 1J tablespoons of fat for each cup of gravy. Flour in the same proportion (1-| tablespoons to

each cup) is sifted into the. fat and browned in the pan. The brownings from the meat which also remain in the pan help to colour and flavour the gravy. Hot liquid is added gradually and stirred well to make the gravy smooth. The liquid can be boiling water, but vegetable stock is preferable because it adds flavour and makes use of the nutrients which escape from the vegetables during cooking. The gravy should be boiled for a minute or two and seasoned, but remember, if vegetable water is used, it may already contain salt. Stuffing Stuffing gives variety, adds flavour, and acts as an extender. Boned joints may be stuffed or a stuffing may be made separately and cooked in the pan with the joint. In this case the stuffing needs to be basted frequently and it will absorb the flavour of the meat from the drippings. The stuffing should be suited to the meat. If the meat has a delicate flavour, chicken, for example, the stuffing should not be so strongly flavoured as to mask the flavour of the meat. Meat with a well defined flavour of its own can be served with a more strongly flavoured stuffing. Meat, such as veal, which is lacking

in flavour, needs a stuffing to provide flavour and make it more interesting. The stuffing should not be packed in tightly; it needs room for expansion. The edges of the meat should be secured with skewers while cooking, but these are removed before serving. Sewing the edges of the meat is sometimes more satisfactory than using skewers, but the thread is removed before serving. Rules for Roasting Wipe the meat with a clean, damp cloth; tie and skewer if necessary. Weigh the roast. Season with salt and pepper. Insert a meat thermometer, if available, in the centre of the thickest muscle. Place the roast, on a rack if possible, in a roasting pan with the fat side up. The rack keeps the roast above the drippings and the fat bastes the meat. Roast in a slow oven (300 to 350 degrees F) for the suggested number of minutes per pound or until the desired internal temperature is reached. Remove the thermometer. Serve the roast with gravy and suitable accompaniments.

Drip Stews are Easily Made

IN earlier days a great favourite with the housewife and the family alike was the drip stew, which could be left unattended for several hours. Now, however, it seems to have been almost forgotten with the advent of pressure cookers and automatic stoves, but for flavour and ease of preparation it is well worth making. With this stew as a basis, and boiled potatoes and a quickly cooked green vegetable to go with it, a complete meal can be served less than half an hour after the housewife comes in from gardening or a day out, thus enabling her to make the most of the shorter daylight hours in winter and at the same time produce a meal to satisfy even the heartiest winter appetites. Any man who has to cook for himself could use it frequently through the winter to save the worry of meal preparation at night when outside work is done, because it can be easily varied by adding different vegetables and seasonings and serving it with different accompaniments. Flat-based Saucepan It is necessary to have a large, flatbased saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and a basin which will fit into this saucepan leaving a space round the

sides. The size of the saucepan and the basin will depend on the number of people to be cooked for and the length of time it is to be left unattended. Cut the required amount of stewing steak into pieces sized according to the length of cooking time; for example, if it is to cook for 6 to .7 hours, the pieces should be fairly big, or if it will be cooking for only a morning, or an afternoon, 1| in. cubes would be suitable. Dip the meat in well seasoned flour and brown quickly on all sides in hot fat. Drain and place in the basin. If a thick gravy is preferred, add extra seasoned flour to the meat in the basin. Root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, swedes, and onions, even potatoes if desired, cut in fairly big chunks, can be added at this stage. Alternatively they may be added more finely cut about -an hour before the meal is to be served, if someone is on hand to do this at that time. Add salt and any other seasonings desired, but no liquid, and place the basin in the saucepan. Fill the saucepan carefully with cold water almost to the level of the top of the basin, but not so full that when the water boils it will bubble over

into the basin. Put on the lid and place the saucepan on a low heat where it can be left safely unattended for several hours. Condensation of Steam When the water boils, the steam, which cannot escape because of the tightly fitting lid, condenses on the inside of the lid and drips back down into the basin, where it mixes with the meat and flour to form a rich, well flavoured gravy in which the meat cooks very slowly to complete tenderness. Thus the need for the saucepan lid to fit very tightly is obvious. The longer that the stew is to be left unattended the greater will be the amount of water necessary to prevent the saucepan’s boiling dry. The first time this stew is made it is advisable to keep a check on the water level and rate of cooking. This will enable any necessary adjustment to be made next time it is prepared. Then when the time comes to have a dish which will look after itself while the. family is away for several hours, or even all day, it can be left to cook . itself with no worry of anything untoward happening. —JUDITH FERRIER, Home Science Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Christchurch