HYDE PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Here's the equivalent of a "Roasting 101," to guide cooks to easy mastery of Standing Rib Roast au Jus. This classic dish can make Easter or any day's dinner seem special.
Although many traditional dishes, including lamb, are served in celebration of the spring season, a delicious beef roast is a welcome alternative.
Roasting is a simple, convenient way of cooking large meat cuts, whole birds, and dressed fish. Roasted foods are cooked through contact with dry, heated air held in a closed environment -- an oven.
As the outer layers heat, the meat's natural juices penetrate the tissue, which results in a tender, juicy interior and a crisp, caramelized exterior.
The longer time needed for roasting offers an added advantage to the cook: You have more time to prepare the rest of the meal while the meat roasts in the oven.
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Follow these steps to produce a roast with a crusty exterior and tender interior:
1. Sear the food. Once the food has been seasoned and tied or trussed (secured with string, pins or skewers) it may be seared in hot fat on the stovetop, under a broiler, or in a very hot oven.
Some foods, especially very large cuts, are not usually seared, because an extended roasting time will produce a deeply colored exterior, even without this initial step.
2. Put the food in a roasting pan, and place in a preheated oven. Arrange the food in the roasting pan so that hot air can come into contact with all sides of the meat, poultry or fish. Place the item(s) on a rack and choose a pan that lets the rack fit properly inside, to help air circulation.
3. Roast, adjusting oven temperature as necessary, and baste. There are several theories regarding oven temperatures for roasting. Some foods are traditionally roasted very quickly at high temperatures. Others are started at a high temperature, then finished at lower temperatures.
In every case, it is essential to monitor the cooking speed, to avoid over- or under-cooking foods.
Baste as necessary throughout cooking time. Basting returns some moisture to the food, and prevents it from drying. The basting liquid also gives additional flavor.
Alternative basting liquids such as melted butter, oil or marinades are particularly useful if the meat is lean and does not release enough fat on its own.
4. Add aromatic ingredients to the roasting to create a pan sauce or gravy (optional).
Onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and other aromatic vegetables or herbs may be added to caramelize and roast in the pan drippings. They take on a deep color and absorb some of the flavor from the drippings, and then impart flavor and color to the finished sauce.
5. Roast foods to the correct doneness and let them rest before serving. Meat, fish, poultry and game are generally cooked to a specific internal temperature. The most reliable way to determine doneness in roasted foods is to use a thermometer.
"In order to keep the meat from losing too much moisture during the roasting process, insert a thermometer near the conclusion of the estimated roasting time" says Katherine Shepard, associate professor in culinary arts at The Culinary Institute of America.
Placement of the thermometer is important. Chef Shepard suggests "inserting the thermometer into the center of the roast while making certain to avoid contact with the bone."
When the meat is nearly done, remove from the pan and allow it to rest. Cover the food loosely with foil to keep it moist and place it in a warm spot.
For small items, rest about 5 minutes; for medium items, 15 to 20 minutes, and up to 45 minutes for very large items. Resting an item before carving allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the tissue.
Resting also allows the temperature of the food to equalize, which benefits texture, aroma and flavor. Resting is the stage where "carry-over cooking" occurs. Carry-over cooking refers to an increase of the food's internal temperature by about 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven.
The following recipe for Standing Rib Roast au Jus (au jus means in its natural juices) is from The Culinary Institute of America's "The Professional Chef," 7th Edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2002).
Standing Rib Roast au Jus
7-pound beef rib roast, bone in
Salt, as needed
Pepper, as needed
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 carrot, cut into large dice
1 celery stalk, cut into large dice
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Trim the roast if the fat layer is thick, leaving about .25 inch to baste the meat as it roasts. Season the rib roast generously with salt and pepper. Place the roast with the bones facing down on a rack in a roasting pan that comfortably holds the roast.
Roast until the beef has reached the appropriate internal temperature: 125 F for rare, 135 F for medium rare, 150 F for medium (about 2 to 3 hours). Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Baste the roast periodically with drippings.
Add the diced onion, carrot and celery to the bottom of the roasting pan after the roast has been in the oven for 1.5 hours.
Remove the roast from the oven and place it, along with the rack, on a sheet pan in a warm location to rest and for carryover-cooking time (about 30 minutes). The roast will finish cooking to desired doneness while it rests. Final resting temperatures after carry-over cooking are: 135 F for rare, 145 F for medium rare, and 160 F for medium.
Place the roasting pan containing the juices over low heat on the stovetop, and cook, stirring frequently, until the fat is clear, the drippings are reduced, and the vegetables are a deep golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour or spoon off fat. Deglaze the roasting pan by adding the beef broth. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring and scraping to dissolve the reduced drippings into the jus. Continue to simmer until the jus has a pleasant flavor and consistency, skimming the surface to remove any remaining fat. Taste the jus and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer to remove the vegetables.
Carve the beef into slices and serve with the jus.
Makes 15 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 510 cal., 32 g pro., 40 g fat, 115 mg chol., 270 mg sodium, 3 g carbo.
The Culinary Institute of America's "The Professional Chef," 7th Edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2002, $65) is not only a cookbook. It is a comprehensive resource for information on the identification, preparation and presentation of food, as well as a collection of more than 850 recipes, and it's an especially useful reference for the professional kitchen.
The book is available by calling (800) 888-7850, or on the Net at The Culinary Institute of America's Continuing Education Training Materials section at www.ciaprochef.com.
