— Cecilia sTEWART

so let's talk about cooking methods. And, uh, so roasting is an example of a dry heat, uh, cooking method. And, um, so, uh, I'm going to, I'm gonna address this, uh, from a couple of angles, okay? I'm gonna address meat cookery, okay? And, um, uh, if we are choosing a cut of meat for a dry heat cooking method, so in this case, roasting, uh, or baking right in an oven or a hot box of some sort, um, theoretically we're gonna use an item that is naturally tender, okay? So it has a, a relatively low level of connective tissue, um, uh, that's gonna be suitable, okay? For, for the dry heating cooking method and on an animal, okay? Basically, basically that's gonna come, uh, from the torso, uh, between the shoulder area and the, and the hunches. And so that, that middle back, that loin area is gonna be the most, um, uh, tender because it's not exercised very much. Exercise promotes connective tissue and toughness in the meat. And, uh, so, uh, uh, tough meats, uh, need to be subjected to moist heat cooking methods to break down the connective tissue over a, a long period of time. Uh, whereas dry heat methods like roasting are suitable for the tender cuts and can be cooked over a shorter period of time. A couple things to keep in mind. This is generally speaking for anything vegetables or otherwise now, um, is, um, you don't wanna overcook the item. And, uh, if we overcook an item, we're pushing out moisture, okay? Which is going to result in, uh, a, a toughening, right? A, a, a, a leather, like consistency of what's left behind. And so you want to find, uh, that sweet spot, um, for that purpose. And, you know, when it comes to, to vegetables, for example, we generally cook at a pretty high temperature, something above 400 degrees Fahrenheit. And, um, I often choose, uh, 4 25, um, if I'm using a sill pat, uh, because sill pats can burn at four 50 and higher. And, um, uh, you know, if you're using parchment paper, you're gonna start to, to find the upper end of parchment paper. You know, at four 50 and above, uh, it starts to become brittle. Um, it, it can catch fire, but that's probably, uh, less of a, of an issue. It just starts to, uh, become brittle. You can reuse parchment paper. Okay? Now, um, these silicone baking mats, like a, like a s pat, you know, to use a brand name, uh, they all start to discolor, uh, over time. And, uh, they're certainly usable, okay? But, you know, again, you get to make that choice, uh, you know, as to how long you wanna use that thing. But, um, a higher temperature is gonna be appropriate. One thing that I also like to do in roasting vegetables is, um, when I am, uh, I've got it on the, the product on a sill pad, just for the easy cleanup, really. And I will put it, uh, on the floor of the oven, okay? So not even on a rack, but on the floor of the oven, the fire is right underneath there. All right? So that's really gonna be the hottest surface in the oven, and that's gonna get you some, uh, browning that develops very nicely. So you might give that a try. Okay? And then, uh, high temp goes with a, uh, a lower cooking time, and, you know, you get to find that balance for what it is you're preparing, uh, as well as how you like the finished product, okay? So it depends on how big the items were cut as well. Um, and, and when it comes to vegetables, uh, small cuts like, um, you know, a small dice or a a Julianne, uh, they're gonna dry off and become leathery pretty quickly. So if you could cut, uh, items in, in larger sizes, then they, they tend to hold onto their moisture and, uh, therefore have a better opportunity to yield, uh, a, a nice balanced texture, right? With some crispiness on the outside. And then a, a light, a moist fluffiness perhaps on the inside. Um, so there's some, uh, experimentation that's gonna be, uh, in order for you. Uh, the other thing to keep in mind with roasting vegetables is that if you use oil, like, uh, just a, a toss in, in a, a light coat of oil, uh, it's, it's, um, super easy to yield some satisfying results. If you're, if you're doing this in a, in an oil-less method, then, uh, take a little more time to, um, uh, to turn the items over as, as needed, and then even to introduce a little bit of moisture, um, to keep the browning at bay, uh, and to keep the excessive drying in check right on, on the surface of the product. Okay? And, uh, a little spray bottle is, is helpful if you using just water, um, and, uh, you know, give that a try. There's always a, a degree of experimentation, uh, that's involved to find the balance that works well for you in your kitchen with your equipment.