Roasts, Herbs, and Blow Torches

[itch22]

Here's a question... Lets say you are browning your roast with a blow torch, and you want to flavour your roast with some herbs - lets say fresh sage and rosemary leaves. You rub the roast down with the herbs, then you blow torch it and incinerate the herbs. If you blow torch it, and then rub it down with the herbs, the meat is seared and it seems to me that the flavour of the herbs cannot penetrate the meat.

Your thoughts?

EDIT: Please ignore the spelling mistake in the topic's description.

Edited March 21, 2004 by itch22 (log)

[aidensnd2]

I'm confused by this one....

If the meat is to be roasted properly what would be the need of browning it with a blowtorch?

[Samhill]

Roast means roast, eh?

You've provided your own answer.

Blowtorch?

[itch22]

I'm confused by this one....

If the meat is to be roasted properly what would be the need of browning it with a blowtorch?

A general consensus was arrived at in the following forum that the best way to roast meat was by browning it with a blow torch and then cooking it for several hours in the oven at 150 to 200F.

EDITED to modify link to forum.

Edited March 21, 2004 by itch22 (log)

[Samhill]

Roll it around in a HOT cast iron skillet, apply your chosen 'rub' and roast.

Blowtorch, my ass.

[aidensnd2]

I read the thread, didn't sound like a general consensus, more like a suggestion...

Just seems like why bother with a blowtorch when you already have a stove in the kitchen which will do the job just fine?

Assuming it's a decent sized piece of meat the fresh herbs will most likely burn anyway during the roasting process. Personally I would bruise the herbs and rub them onto the meat and then let it stand for an hour or two to get the flavour, remove the herbs, brown in a pan or in a hot oven and then 'roast' the meat in a medium oven until done.

Just my $.02 worth

[HKDave]

Itch22, the blowtorch+low temp. method can deliver a great roast, and gotta love playing with that blowtorch! But you can get close to the same results and solve your when-do-I-add-the-herbs problem by dressing the roast with whatever herbs you want, starting it at high heat (say, pre-heated 425 conventional / 400 convection) for just a few minutes to brown it, then dropping the heat to the very low temperature for the remainder of the time. It's not perfect Heston Blumenthal method, but it gets the job done.

Alternatively, insert the herbs in thin slits, then blowtorch (which will usually seal the slits nicely, the herbs won't burn), then go straight to low temp. Or do the herbs in an emulsion or rub and brush them on after blowtorch - if you're applying herbs to the outside just before cooking the flavour doesn't penetrate very much in any case.

Be very careful of your hygiene and use good quality meats when you're doing low temp., because you're working at temperatures that some bacteria love. I use a combi oven (convection + steam) which works well at low temperatures.

- Hong Kong Dave

[itch22]

Alternatively, insert the herbs in thin slits, then blowtorch (which will usually seal the slits nicely, the herbs won't burn), then go straight to low temp.

I'll go with this idea.

[jackal10]

Put the herbs in the marinade, and in the gravy or sauce

...mmm mint sauce with lamb...

[Jonathan Day]

Depending on how you do the low temperature step, herbal flavours may be easy enough to get into the meat. Remember that the browning step doesn't really "seal" the meat, despite kitchen lore. See Harold McGee or other discussions of the Maillard reaction on this.

You could marinate the meat before browning it, with whatever herbs you prefer.

You could embed the herbs in the meat, as Dave suggests.

If the low temperature step is in moist heat, a braise for example, you have no problem.

If the low temperature is a true roast (dry heat), setting the roast on a bed of herbs will get some of their flavours into it. Or scatter them over the meat before it goes into the oven.

Finally, at the end of the cooking you could set some herbs alight (blowtorch again very handy here) and let the meat sit in their smoke for a few minutes. This works beautifully with rosemary branches; also wild fennel, sage, thyme. The herbs do need to be on the dryish side. The warming oven of an Aga works well here: put meat in one pan, on rack into Aga, put herbs in another pan and set them alight, close door. The smoke flavours the meat and departs up the flue.