Guide Note

Roasting is any method of dry heat application to meats or vegetables. It is essentially the same style of cooking as baking, except that baking has to do with yeast rising.

The use of dry heat helps maintain the food's initial moisture and caramelizes foods with sugar, resulting in a sweet and nutty taste.

Fast Facts

1. Employs dry heat to cook food
2. Caramelization of food surface greatly desired in roasted foods
3. Meat, vegetables, coffee, nuts, and chocolate are usually roasted

Martha Stewart recommends roasting on high heat for several minutes until meat is browned. Then, lowering the heat will keep the edges moist and juicy until the center cooks through. Her general rule: "The smaller the roast, the higher the temperature."

Roasts take a long time to cook, as the meat is generally large and uncut. It is important to make sure that meat, especially poultry is cooked fully through to avoid possible bacterial infection.

Coffee beans, in their original state, are small and green. The roasting process increases their size, browns the product, and creates the fragrant smell of the beans.

The length of the roast determines the darkness of the bean, and thus the strength of the coffee.