Asking about Roasting !!! please help

[Việt Hồng]

Hi all,

Some people usually put the mirepoix under the meat while roasting but when i read a "professional cooking" cookbook (page 311), they said:

"these mirepoix acuatlly harmful because the moisture of the vegetable creates steam around the roast"

but according to my thinking, i think the moisture of mirepoix will keep the meat away from drying so why they said it harmful ? or am i wrong ?

 

And one more question, in page 311 of this cookbook too, they said: "Fat protect the roast from drying, while moisture washes away protective fat and allow drying" . Do they mean the moisture keep the meat drying ? I am not so good at english,

[btbyrd]

Roasting is a dry heat method of cooking (unlike steaming or braising) and one of the usual goals of roasting meat is to dry out the exterior and form a nice crust. If you rest meat directly on vegetables, the bottom will steam rather than roast and it won't brown properly. A better method would be to use a roasting rack to suspend the meat a few inches above the vegetables you roast. This will allow the juices from the meat to season the vegetables, but also allow a nice crust to form on the meat.

[gfweb]

The idea of drying out the meat is a complicated one. There's actual water loss that occurs but there's also a texture change that makes overcooked meat seem dry when chewed. One of the points of a steam oven is to minimize the water loss, but you can still overcook in one of

them.

 

The base of your meat sitting on veg will only be exposed to 212F (boiling) until the veg have all their water cooked out, so it won't overcook too easily. But it won't cook at the rate of the 350F air-exposed meat up top. In essence the bottom will be braised and the top roasted.

[Việt Hồng]

Thanks for giving me advices

[Lisa Shock]

Generally, dry meat has been overcooked. You can overcook meat and have it be dry in a soup, surrounded by water. Internal temperature is very important when cooking meats.

 

As noted by btbyrd above, the external drying of food during roasting is desirable and tasty.

[IndyRob]

Roasting is a dry heat method of cooking (unlike steaming or braising) and one of the usual goals of roasting meat is to dry out the exterior and form a nice crust. If you rest meat directly on vegetables, the bottom will steam rather than roast and it won't brown properly. A better method would be to use a roasting rack to suspend the meat a few inches above the vegetables you roast. This will allow the juices from the meat to season the vegetables, but also allow a nice crust to form on the meat.

 

This is exactly it.  The idea is to get a nice crust all around while not overdoing the inside.  That is why many roasting instructions say to start with high heat, and end with low heat (or low, then high).

 

But what I wanted to add is that this assumes you are starting with a tender cut (rib roast, tenderloin, and similar things).  If a recipe is for a 'chuck roast' or 'pork shoulder roast', then they don't really fit the same definition of (dry) 'roast' referred to above.  So that mirepoix is okay here (typically after a searing step). They are what are typically referred to a pot roasts.  And with these you want to bring water moisture because there are a lot of connective tissues that need to be broken down over a long period of time.

 

I think there's more to be said about fat juiciness versus water juiciness, but I think I'll just leave it with my opinion that fatty variety is better for flavor in a plain meat situation - if there's a choice - all other things considered.  It get's complicated beyond this point because it's not just about ingredients, but ways in which water, steam and fat actually become cooking vessels with different properties.

Edited March 13, 2015 by IndyRob (log)

[Việt Hồng]

Thanks all

Edited March 14, 2015 by Việt Hồng (log)

[Norm Matthews]

Your mention of mirepoix and roast make me wonder if you are confusing 'roast' with 'pot roast' which is also called braising.  With a pot roast, the crust, if it is there at all, is done by browning the meat first.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Jaymes]

Can you tell us what sort of meat/cut you are roasting?