Unsure - re: "roast"

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mumu

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
347
does roast also mean whole meat and not the cooking process too? If so how do u determine which is in the sentence or title?
 
Roasting is a cooking process. A large piece of meat is often called a roast (beef roast, lamb roast, etc) because it is usually cooked by roasting.
 
the new ninja 3 in 1 cooking system .....has steam roasting. You put water in the bottom and the meat above on a rack with lid. so here the meat is steamed rather than roasted. but still call it roasting?
 
i have been reading and found this ....just to let u know i am not making up these questions.
chrisk
Charter Member

Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Southern ontario
Posts: 5,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tabby_Cat
I've never gotten my head around the idea. Why is a hunk of meat, with liquid over it, cooked in a crockpot for hours, is somehow.. a roast?
As in pot roasts? I guess that we got used to calling all hunks of meat that were cooked whole 'roasts' and the term stuck even when we changed the method of cooking

so by this how do we know in the wording if its a hunk of meat or the actual cooking process.. ( steam roasted)Also sorry if this aggravating to u guys but i am just stuck.
 
the new ninja 3 in 1 cooking system .....has steam roasting. You put water in the bottom and the meat above on a rack with lid. so here the meat is steamed rather than roasted. but still call it roasting?

You got it right. The meat is steamed rather than roasted. It's not roasting.

Once again, you are confronted with a marketing term that has no relation to cooking terms. Steaming is a moist cooking method. Roasting is a dry cooking method. Steam roasting is a contradiction in terms created to sell a product.
 
a roast is a cut of meat.

to roast is dry-heat cooking, also, & is applicable to certain cuts of beef, a chix, veggies, & garlic, to name a few.
 
You got it right. The meat is steamed rather than roasted. It's not roasting.

Once again, you are confronted with a marketing term that has no relation to cooking terms. Steaming is a moist cooking method. Roasting is a dry cooking method. Steam roasting is a contradiction in terms created to sell a product.

Like that old "Roast & Boast" where you stuck a chicken in a bag with a little liquid and then put it in the oven. It just sounds better than Steam & Dream ;)
 
kayelle.....i am sure u asked questions when u were starting out, and ..never mind. Merry Christmas!
 
thanks ......i guess i was getting confused on the marketing or the selling of the product. thats pretty stupid to fool the public ,i know it goes on everyday. But some one learning in cooking is confusing.
 
Personally I would stay away for this appliance. There are numerous negative reviews online. One of the most concerning is that the outside of the unit gets very hot during use creating a burn and possibly even a fire hazard.

Ask all the questions you want and don't be shy about it. All of us learned by asking questions. You've got to start somewhere.

.40
 
Thanks for an interesting topic, mumu. "Roast" is not the only cooking term that inspires ambiguity. A tagine, for example, can be either the the North African cooking vessel or the dish that is cooked in it, and a "dish", of course can be the vessel in which a meal is served or cooked or the meal itself.
As everyone has said, roasting is dry heating, and the product of this process. A pot roast, however, is the product of moist heating, but the process is called braising (if you add any moisture. I still consider it braising even if you don't, since the meat is cooked in the steam from the moisture liberated by the meat and veggies) not pot roasting. A broiler can be a chicken of about 5 lbs or so (as opposed to a "fryer"), and again, you can broil a "broiler" in a broiler, the thingy under the stove which will take also tender cuts of meat or your creme brule, if you don't have a flame thrower. I personally dislike this form of cooking. Bending down is easy. getting up again is not.
I agree with Andy's comment about the abuse of cooking terms by advertisers. The relatively new halogen ovens are often touted for their healthy., "fat free frying". Water free boiling will be next.
Cheers
 
since roasting is a dry method is there any time a little water added to the bottom of the pan to keep drippings from burning is ok. Is the only option a rack or a bed of veg., instead of water. little water meaning less than 1/2 cup? this happen to me when i made roast chicken before,drippings started to burn. i know i could deg-laze the pan drippings,but thought little water might be ok. but than its not a dry method. I thought i check with u guys on this instead of the internet.
 
Adding liquid to the pan is common in roasting to keep drippings from burning/smoking. It's still a dry method because it's not a covered pan.

It's still a good idea to use a rack for the chicken because that allows heat to circulate under the chicken for even cooking.
 
Yeah. The truism "whatever works, works" applies here. I often roast a chicken mounted vertically on one of those tripod thingies with its (the tripod's!) feet in water for the reason that you both mention, but I still call it roast , rather than braised chicken, and it retains that characteristic sign of a roast chicken, crisp skin.
Cheers
 
is there a certain amount of water one can add to pan drippings? if add to much i am sure there is a name that would be called? THX.
 
Last edited:
The amount doesn't really effect the definition of the cooking method. Really all you need is enough to keep the bottom moist so the drippings don't burn.
 
Andy check this rec. out would u agree if this is roasted chicken or not?

Sinfully Simple, No-Fail Roasted Chicken Pieces « Cook More Smile More

I am thinking more of the lines of baking rather than roasting? thanks for taking the time to look. It seems to me there is a lot of water there cooking in to be roasted? But wanted your thoughts on this.

I would classify this particular recipe as more of a braised dish since the meat is sitting in a cup of water... instead of elevated above it.

.40
 
also, when u add water to the pan drippings doesnt that produce steam? and doesnt braising have to have a lid?
 
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