Glassman wrote:
> "Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Glassman wrote:
>>
>>>"skizi" <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>
>>>>I have a 4 pound round roast that I wanted to make for dinner
>>>>tonight. However I cannot find out how long to bake it. One recipe
>>>>says "until done", which does not help. I just want to put salt,
>>>>pepper, garlic and then bake it. Thanks for the help. Dinner is
>>>>supposed to be in 4 hours. ( I never have dinner ready on time.)
>>>>
>>>>Shari
>>>
>>>Nothing is easier than a roast. 350 degrees.... Start out at 20
>>>minutes to the lb, if you don't own a timer, just take it out every
>>>15 minutes or so after about 1 1/2 hrs, and slice it and take a peek
>>>inside. I like it rare, wife likes it well done. I cut it in half
>>>when it's pink and bllody in the middle, and put the rest back in for
>>>another 30 minutes.
>>
>>Every cut means loss of juices. And if you're really going to look to
>>see the degree of doneness, you need to cut into the center.
>>
>>A better, foolproof way is to use a thermometer. No guesswork, no beef
>>abuse.
>>
>>Pastorio
>
> Correct but if she had a thermometer, she wouldn't have asked. I gave
> her the "no thermometer" method.
Otherwise called the "guesswork" method. Or it could be called the "mess
up the roast" method. No clocks in her house, either I guess. The shape
of her roast, the temperature the meat is, the temperature of the oven
(how accurate it is), the degree of doneness desired all affect how long
a piece of meat is to cook. Poking holes or taking slices is a good way
to ruin it.
The simple fact is that the roast will be mauled and gashed by the time
it hits the table with this approach. It's unnecessary effort and
unnecessary cutting on that piece of meat. Every cut makes it lose
juices. Every cut reduces the quality of the finished product. I think
my suggestion was more useful in the moment and in the future. Take 15
minutes to go to the nearest supermarket and spend $5 for a thermometer.
To save a $15 roast. And all the roasts in the future.
Roasting meats at 350° dries the surface and evaporates juices. The
reason to let a roast rest after cooking is to let the juices
redistribute themselves. To let the juices have the time to move through
the roast to offer a true picture of how done it is. Cutting a hot roast
still cooking means that you'll get a false indication of how done it
is. And every time you open the oven door, heat escapes. The oven then
has to come back up to temperature while the cooking slows down because
of the heat loss.
The nature of her questions showed that she is inexperienced at this.
Better she should learn a technically competent method than to guess.
The optimum way to cook that roast would be to use a remote-sensing
thermometer that reads while the meat is cooking. Like what Alton Brown
uses on his program. Runs about $20 and is good for meats, casseroles,
breads and loads of other foods. No more over- or undercooked foods. No
more guesses.
Pastorio
