I am baking a ham and I notice my recipe says to put in oven covered and roast it for x amount of time. My question is why does it say roast when I am clearly baking it. ( not roasting it). I am a liittle confused on why they say roast ....again thank you for any help ,not playing on words just trying to understand.
Question About Roasting Versus Baking.
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RPCookin
Executive Chef
Roast - bake - when talking meat it's all the same. It means cooking with dry heat in the oven. Some things you do covered, some not. Ham is usually covered, because it's already cooked and you are essentially just reheating it. Doing it uncovered would just dry it out.
Roll_Bones
Master Chef
Play on words I guess. I use the word bake when making brownies and use the word roast when making a chicken in the oven. Even though both might cook at 350F for 30 minutes.
Don't lose any sleep over this as its the same thing.
Don't lose any sleep over this as its the same thing.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Its irrelevant to the task of warming up a ham.
For what it's worth ...
What's the Difference Between Roasting and Baking?
While these cooking methods are nearly identical in today's kitchen, there's actually a few things that set them apart.
For what it's worth ...
What's the Difference Between Roasting and Baking?
While these cooking methods are nearly identical in today's kitchen, there's actually a few things that set them apart.
- Structure of the food. This is the primary factor that sets these cooking methods apart. Roasting involves cooking foods that already have a solid structure before the cooking process begins (think, meat and vegetables). Baking involves that lack structure early on, then become solid and lose their "empty space" during the cooking (think, cakes and muffins).
- Temperature. Various sources note that the temperature setting on the oven also distinguishes these two cooking method. Roasting requires a higher temperature (400 degrees F and above) to create a browned, flavorful "crust" on the outside of the food being cooked, while baking occurs at lower oven temperatures (up to 375 degrees F).
- Fat content. While many baked goods contain fat within, an outer coating of fat, such as vegetables or meat brushed with olive oil, is an indicator of roasting.
- Covered pan. Roasting is typically done in an open, uncovered pan, while items that are baked may be covered.
+1 on the covering to retain moisture. I'd add that using a nice low heat like 200F will heat the ham but not turn it into rubber bands do to the protein strands contracting due to any temp. over 212 F.
lyndalou
Head Chef
agreed.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
Then why does my oven have separate bake and roast modes with identical temp preset choices for each? I've always wondered about that... and I've lost sleep over this.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Possibly a matter of how evenly the upper and lower heating elements heat up.
I had the same question about my friend's oven so I looked at the manual and it said that for BAKE both the upper and lower elements cycled together evenly, but for ROAST the upper element got hotter.
That would be consistent with the idea of baking a cake or bread (even heat) and roasting a chicken (hotter heat on top to brown).
Do you still have the owners manual?
My oven is the same ... Roast and bake settings. And not trying to lose any sleep over it, just trying to understand. I know some things you don't have to understand. Jennyema your information on roasting temperture and baking temperture confirms its baking on the ham,but why is it still say in recipe to roast in oven. You think they would say bake in oven and leave roast out of recipe. I always thought and when looked at recipes that mention roast,the recipe always seemed to produced a carmelized crunchy outside and no cover. So how is it they say roast and bake same thing in oven ,but for roasting .... No cover, outside crunchy. How does one determine what recipe is saying......? And as far as oven goes if roasting dial is for top element hotter, my ham would of been a mess if bake and roast are the same. Again how does one know when recipe says roast talking about ( roasting ,no cover ....crunchy outside) or if saying baking and roasting is the same. I hope said this right....how do you distinguish what they want. Please don't say you learn it, you have to have some idea. Again thanks
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roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
Thanks Jenn, I figured it's how the elements cycle between the two modes. I've used both modes on identical recipes before with really no noticeable difference, as far as I can tell.
RPCookin
Executive Chef
To the OP. To be perfectly honest, "baked" ham is a misnomer. Ham is cured, then sometimes smoked, often roasted, these days usually precooked and then reheated by the consumer, but it's never actually baked in the purest definition of the word.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Yes u did explain the stove cycle. But I still am having a hard time with when recipes have roast,when they say roast and bake is the same and how to distinguish in recipe when roast or bake? What I said above in your post you copied me. Yes I agree ham should of said heat .... But said roast,so does many other recipes I looked at say roast, which to me roast is like I said previously. Any clues or help on how others know which is which. Really trying to get a understanding on it. Like stove if I would of used roast bec. That's what they said to do. Put in oven covered and roast x amount of time.( roast and bake same.... But roasting produce a carmelized crunchy crust.?) both same but different? About stove when did cake was giving you an example ...bec. Everyone says roast and bake are the same?...how can they? Any advice on how others understand this. Thanksq
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Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
The majority of us don't have ovens with different roast and bake settings, and recipes aren't usually written for the types of ovens that do. Furthermore, many recipe writers use terms interchangeably. When they say "roast" or "bake," what they are really saying is "preheat the oven to the designated temperature and put the food in it."
With a ham, all you are doing is reheating it. It's already been cured and cooked. Does your oven have a "reheat" setting? Probably not. But if it does, that's what I would use for ham.
But at the end of the day, for most of us it's exactly the same thing: preheat the oven to the designated temperature and put the food in it.
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Thanks... I understand that about the temperture. What I am trying to figure out is why people say roast and bake are the same when clearly if u tell someone to roast vegatables you are expecting a crunchy outside. I asked a few of my freinds if I said had a choice between something roasted or baked what would you preference be and they said if want something without the cruch would go with something baked and of course for crunch roasted, bec... Roasted gives you this. So again not trying to be difficult but how is it that roasting and baking be the same? So if recipe says roast u think of no cover and a carmelized crunch on the outside. Why would you say roast and bake are the same? How do you determine which way to go. Again please don't think I am going on about nothing but I don't understand the above which I asked.
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RPCookin
Executive Chef
Because most ovens don't have those options. Most just say "Bake" or "Broil" or "Clean". Mine is a convection oven so I have "Convection Bake" also. I cook a roast and bake bread on the same "Bake" cycle. I keep meaning to experiment with the convection setting, but somehow it never seems to work out that I have the time or the flexibility to fail.
Most of the time you want a meat roast to get browned on the top and sides, but you don't want that on a cake. That is the only real reason for the different cycles of "Bake" or "Roast". There are other ways to get a crust on a roast while using the "Bake" setting, so in reality, having a "Roast" setting is just a convenience, not a necessity.
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I don't know where you're getting your recipes from, but I think you're giving the writers way too much credit. Many writers aren't as meticulous as they should be, especially on personal blogs. They may not know or don't care about the difference. All that matters is that you use the right temperature for the right amount of time.
