I am new to roasting cuts of beef and pork. Suggestions?

Question

I don't know much about baking pork, making pot roasts, anything to do with ribs/certain cuts of beef.....any suggestions for a beginner's foray into roasting meat/pork? I usually just cook chicken, pasta dishes, salads, and stir fries, but it seems much easier to bake slabs of meat, versus preparing multi-step/pot and pan dishes, but I don't want to overcook the meat, since that would be a expensive mistake. I have started experimenting with precooked ham, porketta roasts, and pork tenderloin. I have done pork chops, and steak as well. That is it, though. Any suggestions for other types of meat, pork, or turkey recipes to prepare in the oven?

Answer 1

It really depends on the cut of meat you want to roast. For your tougher cuts I recomend braising.

first you want to season your meat, next you want to heat a pan until it is hot then add a little oil (very important always add oil to a hot pan never a cold pan or your meat will stick), then addd your meat and sear it until it is slightly browned on all sides. When the meat is seared place in a roasting pan and add water. Enough water to come 1/2 way up the pan. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven at 275 and slow cook the meat 3 to four hours. To be on the safe side check the meat after 2 hours for tenderness. But make sure you cover tightly when placing back in oven. When using the braising technique it is very important to sear the meat first, because if you don't the water will actully reat the meat of most of its moisture and flavor. This technique can also be done in a slow cooker but again make sure you sear it first and then place in a slow cooker and let go for 4 - 8 hours. Slow cookers are your best friend if you want a hot meal when you get home from work. When using a slow cooker you can add potatoes, carots, celery, and onions all of which add tons of flavor.

If roasting a beef tenderloin or a rib roast you do not want to use the braising cooking method.

For the tenderloin I still recomend seasoning and searing (montreal steak seasoning is very good) and then right into the oven. 400 until you reach an internal temp of 120 degrees for a perfect medium rare and then 10 more degrees for each level of doneness you desire, however, I don't recomend anything over medium rare on this cut of meat.

Rib roast no need to sear just season and place in a roasting pan and let go until you reach an internal temp of 120 again I recomend more than medium rare for this cut of meat.

pork:

A pork but or pork shoulder searing and braising is the way to go with these.

A pork loin should be seared then roasted, until you reach an internal temp of 130.

Due to contrary belief pork can be eaten medium rare. There is no longer a threat of trichinosis in under cooked pork.

I hope that I have been helpful in your cooking needs. Happy cooking and good eats.

Answer 2

The best way to cook roasts of any type (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, etc.) is by using Reynolds Wrap Cooking Bags. They are fool-proof as long as you follow the directions. You must be sure to put in 3 TBS of flour and cut 6 small slices/punctures in the top of the bag but other than that, they are a snap. And, you can add any type of vegs along with the meat. They also make clean up easy as you just throw the bag away. And the little other benefit is that roasts cook much quicker in the bags than without. Good luck.

Answer 3

Ooh, such a big subject... just a second while I compile a more comprehensive answer...

I'm speaking in generalities here because roast recipes are so... there are so many. You'll want the oven at 325, or you'll want to invest in a crock pot (Which I reccomend), then it's on to cuts of meat. You'll want something on the trimmer side, but a little marbling (thin lines of fat) will really add to the flavor. When placing any cut of meat in a roasting pan or crock pot, you'll want it fat side up, so the fat can drain through the meat (I know it sounds gross, but it also makes the meat tender), then add seasonings and moisture (too many recipes to count here). Cover(tightly), forget for about four hours, then check for tenderness. Two things that none of my roasts are seen without: Beef won't go long without red potatoes and carrots cooked with, and onion soup mix sprinkled on top, pork or corned beef won't go without the glaze placed during the last hour of cooking (or sooner if you want it to really soak into the meat): Equal parts mustard and brown sugar, a dash of worsteshire sauce and a sprinkle of ginger.

Answer 4

Reynolds brand Oven Roasting Bags. You can season the meat as you prefer, add potatoes, carrots, and onions if you wish and follow the directions on the box for cooking times and temperatures. The bags are self basting and lock in moisture. The also keep cleanup to a minimum. The come in sizes for a small roast to a 30 lb Turkey. They are awesome.

Answer 5

Roast Turkey Recipe

A holiday is not a holiday at our house without turkey. This roast turkey recipe gives you a no fail way of cooking Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas turkey or any day turkey.
Roasting a turkey does take a while, but the results are well worth it. Turkey is one of the leanest and healthiest protein foods. Plus, you can't beat turkey leftovers! Look here for our turkey and chicken recipes, plus easy ways to use turkey leftovers!


Roast Turkey Recipe
15 pound turkey
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon each, salt and pepper


Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Place them in a large saucepan and set aside.

Pat the turkey with paper towels inside and out. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Fold the neck skin over stuffing and skewer the skin to the back. Lift the wings and twist them so the tips are under the bird.

Stuff the body cavity. Tuck the legs under the band of skin at the tip of the body cavity or tie them with string.

Immediately place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. If you don't have a rack, butter a few slices of bread on both sides and place them on the roasting pan first. Sit the turkey on top of the bread to keep it from sticking to the pan.

In a small bowl, mix together butter, sage and thyme. Rub this mixture over the turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place foil over the turkey so that it points upwards in the middle, making a tent shape. Make sure the foil is dull side up. Leave the sides open.

Roast the turkey at 325ºF, for 4 hours. Baste every 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the foil after 4 hours and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 185ºF and the stuffing reads 165ºF. This will probably take about 1 hour longer.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board. Tent with the foil and let stand for about 20 minutes to let the juices settle before carving.

This roast turkey recipe is as close as you can get to no fail turkey cooking.



Turkey Gravy
Stock for Gravy:
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups white wine or water
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery


While the turkey is in the oven, put the turkey parts (neck and giblets) into a large saucepan. Add the stock, wine, onion, carrot and celery. Bring it all to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and skim off any fat. Simmer for 3 hours. Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup, adding wine, if needed, to make 3 cups. Set aside.


To Make the Turkey Gravy:
3 cups stock, as above
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper


To make the gravy, put the roasting pan on the stove element. Skim off the excess fat in the roasting pan. Cook the remaining juices for 1 minute. Whisk in stock, leaving out 1/2 cup, and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the brown bits from the pan.

Mix the 1/2 cup of stock with the flour until there are no lumps in the mixture. Add the flour mixture into the pan and stir well to make sure you have no lumps. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Whisk in butter, salt and pepper to taste. Strain if desired.



Variations:



This recipe for making turkey gravy from favored stock is absolutely delicious. But many people simply add the water from boiling potatoes to the pan drippings (add the same amount called for in the stock recipe). That's the gravy I grew up with and I think it results in delicious gravy too. So take your pick - make old fashioned gravy using potato water, or kick it up a notch with wine and chicken stock.

In this roast turkey recipe I have suggested my favorite seasoning combination. Feel free to adjust the seasoning to your family's tastes.