Keeping Roasts Uncovered During Roasting

Roasting is a dry heat cooking method which uses hot, circulating air to cook foods.

*Covering a roast while it is still in a hot oven is a misguided attempt to maintain moisture.* Covering will prevent the steam from escaping, which will condensate and then boil and steam on the meat’s surface. This intense, moist heat can overcook the exterior very quickly and cause the fibers of the meat to tense up prematurely and squeeze out the precious juices from the roast. Also, in order to create a much desired crust on a roast, it is important not to cover the roast at any time during the cooking process. Even once a crust has formed, if the roast is then covered, the crust and surface of the meat will soften. This softening will open up the pores of the meat and cause the meat to lose a lot of its juices.

Pot roasting is a completely different cooking method which uses moist heat to cook the meat. Because tougher cuts of meat are often used for pot roasting, meat that contains plenty of fat and connective tissue needs to be covered and gently cooked in a liquid in order to break down and become fork tender.