H O W T O U S E Y O U R R O A S T I N G P A N
Originally written for Tramontina USA
It’s about that time again: the holiday season. Which means you’re running around from November to January chopping, mixing, steaming, sautéing, and baking until that glorious morning on January 1st when you finally declare, “Tonight, we’re ordering pizza!” But until that final breath of relaxation, it’s important to prepare yourself for the battle ahead, which is why we're all about roasting this season.
Roasting is a one-way ticket to more sleep, less stress, and juicy mealtime goodness. It requires little attention, as you’re basically chopping up some good starchy veggies, seasoning a large fatty piece of meat, and throwing it all into the oven between 400-450°F for a couple of hours. Your left with a jaw-dropping presentation of browned crispy edges and an accompanying bed of glazed vegetables. Roasting gives you more time to put together the salad and set the table before all 35 of your family members arrive. Luckily you’ve already asked your sister to bring dessert, so you’ve got the kitchen cleaned up and intoxicating aromas filling the house upon their loud and festive entry.
Here are a few tips, as well as a foolproof recipe, to ensure your roasts are as stress-free and as awe-inspiring as possible:
Invest in a good roasting pan. The holidays are not a time to pull out that old re-usable tin pan that you probably shouldn't have saved. Beautiful browning is hard to come by in an aluminum pan, as the material doesn't heat up like heavy gauge stainless-steel. Additionally, transporting a holiday-size steaming bounty of meat and veggies from your oven can be really dangerous in flimsy aluminum, as the pan will be weighed down by a collection of mouthwatering juices. Having a sturdy stainless-steel pan with handles for balance will certainly ease your last minute anxieties. The Tramontina 18/10 Stainless-Steel Roasting Pan does not mess around and includes a rack—keeping foods from sticking and burning on the bottom, another force your aluminum pan just can’t hold up to.
Use larger, fattier cuts of meat. Unless your’e roasting a whole chicken or turkey, make sure to get a fatty cut of meat. The fats will melt and tenderize the beef, pork, lamb or whatever else you choose, and help to crisp the edges. Large pieces are key in this form of cooking as well. Small cuts will dry out quickly.
Cook the right veggies. Starchier veggies are best. Roots like carrots and potatoes work well, and large chunks of onions are perfect for slowly melting and releasing sweetness. If you want to use zucchini, tomatoes, or other softer veggies, make sure to either cut them into pieces larger than your potatoes or throw them in halfway through the cook time so they don’t totally dissolve. We also recommend throwing in winter herbs like rosemary or sage!
Let your meat stand at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Sometimes your fridge is a little too chilly and it can take a while for the meat to actually start cooking if it's too cold. This step also helps the meat cook evenly with the vegetables so everything comes out at the same time. It isn’t absolutely necessary but we do find that it helps.
Let it rest. Just like your own body after a long day of cooking, your dinner also needs a good nap. Once you take your dish out of the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This helps lock in the juices as it finishes cooking and begins to cool down.
Make gravy. Once you take all the meat and veggies out of the roasting pan you’ll be left with glorious pan drippings. Pour these drippings, scraping down all the bits from the bottom of the roasting pan, into a saucepan and make the most flavor-packed gravy of your life. You don't want to waste a drop of your hard work!