Baked or roasted?

[Andy M.]

I have an issue with basing a definition of roasting on the presence or absence of a spit or rack.

According to the book, "Roasting, A Simple Art" by Barbara Kafka, The two factors that differentiate roasting from baking are 1) the presence of a fat, either naturally occurring within the meat or added as part of the preparation, and 2) high heat, which is necessary to attain the desirable surface browning that is inherent to a successful roast.

She goes on to say that flat bottomed, low sided pans just big enough to contain the foods being roasted are best. She does not recommend racks as they do not real good and are hard to clean.

That's my take on it.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

2) high heat, which is necessary to attain the desirable surface browning that is inherent to a successful roast.

This is what I meant by "directed heat source".

 

[Arky]

According to the book, "Roasting, A Simple Art" by Barbara Kafka... That's my take on it.

That's interesting.

My information comes from:
Massimo Montanari, "Peasants, Warriors, Priests: Images of Society and Styles of Diet In Food, A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present", edited by Jean-Louis Flandrin and Massimo Montanari, pp. 178–185. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

I mean, as long as we're quoting sources...

 

[Andy M.]

I wasn't trying to be snotty, Arky. Just wanted to offer some info on the topic that I felt was more on point. I guess we'll have to differ on this one.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Ok, remember now kids. (say it with me) Text is a lousy medium for emotions. What reads "snarky" could just be straight.

Don't make me give examples. My texts have been known to cause internal bleeding.

 

[Scotch]

Here are some definitions of "roast" from various sources found on the web:

define:roast - Google Search

 

[RPCookin]

That's what my electric GE ovens -- and every oven I've every used for that matter -- calls "broiling."

As for baking or roasting in the oven, only the bottom heating element is used in my ovens.

BTW, I found one site that suggests "roast" means to bake uncovered. Of course, that makes no sense when it comes to cookies and so forth.

I think the terms were invented to confuse foreigners so they won't be able to duplicate our wonderful cuisine.

Broiling is a completely different setting on the oven. You set it for broil, leave the door open at the first detent, and the top element stays on all the time for direct heat cooking.

In the convection roasting, the door is closed and the oven is maintained at a set temperature. The heat is somewhat more directed than it is in baking, but it isn't the same sort of high heat that is used in broiling. The only difference between the roasting and baking baking setting is that they use different elements to supply the heat.

BTW, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, only that this is how the terms are used for my oven settings. Roasting usually involves meats, and as Andy said, that generally means some fat is present.

 

[apple*tart]

I never pondered this question! This is a tough one! When I think of roasted turkey or roasted vegetables, I think of things that are deeply browned. When I think of baked things, the picture in my mind is of things only lightly browned. There doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason with temperature (roasted turkey cooks most of its time on 350º, but I bake a pizza in a much hotter oven) or the type of food (there are recipes for roasted vegetables and baked meats). Really my "browning" idea doesn't even fly 100% - artisan loaves of bread are baked but can come out of the oven deeply browned. I can't really come to a definitive answer, I guess!

 

[Scotch]

Broiling is a completely different setting on the oven. You set it for broil, leave the door open at the first detent, and the top element stays on all the time for direct heat cooking.

In the convection roasting, the door is closed and the oven is maintained at a set temperature. The heat is somewhat more directed than it is in baking, but it isn't the same sort of high heat that is used in broiling. The only difference between the roasting and baking baking setting is that they use different elements to supply the heat.

BTW, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, only that this is how the terms are used for my oven settings. Roasting usually involves meats, and as Andy said, that generally means some fat is present.

Convection adds an entirely different factor to the mix. You can have convection baking, convection roasting, and convection broiling.

 

[jet]

Roasted: Wire rack, grill or spit.

Everything else is baked.

Get it!? - Good!

 

[Robo410]

I just thought I'd add my insignificant view. Everybody is entitled to his or her own terminology.

I roast meats and vegetables. May be either dry or moist heat, open or covered, wire rack or flat pan.

I bake breads pies cookies tarts souffles cakes etc.

I know some people refer to cut up chicken in a pan as baked chicken. I don't.
If apples are in a crust, they are baked. But if they are out in the open pan with a little sauce, they are roasted apples. I roast chestnuts with them.

This is the terminology I learned from mom and grandmom (Swedish).

Now it seems to me that this terminology is partly regional, and partly the type of range/oven you use.

In the end if it tastes good, does it really matter.

 

[msmofet]

Mine doesn't use both ever according to the instruction manual. It uses the top element plus convection fan for roasting, and the bottom with or without the fan for baking.

And as Arky says, when roasting you should use a rack so that the heat can reach all sides of the meat, and the convection fan aids this process. Roasting is for meats. Baking is for breads, cakes and pastries, some of which can use the convection fan and some of which don't.

oh ok my oven top has a coil with flames that only comes on when it is on broil. i guess it just depends on brand. i'd just like to say though if you oven has flames to roast it sounds more like it's broiling on top.