Many people love roast beef, pork, venison, elk, or what have you, but find that the meat ends up dry, even when it is flavorful. It isn’t just bad luck. There is a major secret and several minor ones that usually leads to a juicy roast.
Selecting the roast
The first step is to select a roast that has marbling, but not much gristle. Marbling is small amounts of fat throughout the meat. If it doesn’t contain the marbling, the roast is likely to be tough and will be apt to dry out during baking.
Moistening and tenderizing
It can be helpful to let the roast marinate overnight, especially in an acid-based marinade. By ‘acid-based marinade’, we are talking about one that contains vinegar or citrus juice.
This helps because the acid loosens the meat and begins to break down the fat. While this primarily makes the roast tenderer, it allows the marbling to sort of melt during cooking, leaving the roast moist and flavorful when it is done.
Adding water and covering
If you simply plop the roast in a roasting pan, slip it in the oven, and bake it, you are inviting it to turn out dry. As it heats up, the juices in the roast evaporate.
Instead, add a cup or so of water and cover the baking pan. This helps to retain the moisture and it virtually steam-cooks the meat. This also usually leaves enough fluid in the pan when the roast is done to make gravy, simply by heating the drippings and stirring in some flour.
The pot should be checked periodically to maintain the water level.
Start at room temperature
As contrary as it might seem, if you put a roast that is cold or partly frozen into the oven, it will tend to dry out rapidly. The roast should always be at room temperature before it is baked. This also helps control the cooking of the roast so it cooks evenly.
Sear the meat
Regardless of how well done you prefer the roast to be, start out by putting it in a hot oven; about 500 F. Cooking it at this temperature for 10-20 minutes sears the outside of the meat, sealing in the juices and flavor.
The oven can then be turned down to 275 F and the roast can be baked 20 minutes per pound, for a medium-rare roast, or longer if you prefer it to be more well-done.
Wait on it
The number one cause of a dry roast is that as soon as it is done, too often people remove it from the oven and immediately cut and serve it. This is a big no-no. Let the roast sit for 10-20 minutes before cutting it up.
If you cut it before then, a surprising amount of moisture is lost through steam, leaving the meat dry. If none of the other tips are used, try this one for a moist roast.
Though I was a professional cook for some time, I learned how to cook a moist and tender roast from my mother, who learned from her mother. To the day she died, I don’t recall a single instance of one of her roasts turning out dry, regardless of the cut of roast or kind of meat. That is saying a lot because when I was growing up, we had venison or elk roast frequently.
You now know her secrets, especially her most important one. I’m sure that she would have loved knowing that someone might be helped by this knowledge.
Good tips to know! Thanks for sharing, Rex!
You are quite welcome. :))
I want to have roast soon after reading this post.
I know what you mean, Linda. We had a roast the night I wrote this. lol
It looks so delicious. Thank you for sharing the secret. I will try it next time I make a roast beef.
It makes roast so moist and tender. I think you’ll really like it.
You should not give a picture of delicious food if there is no intention to let me taste it bite!
LOL…you can certainly taste a bite (or more), but you’d need to come here for that. Planning any trips to Montana in the future??
I HOPE so… My friend.
Great post Rex :o)
Thank you, Lee!
What time is dinner and can I bring the family?
lol…actually, you’d be welcome. I’ve never turned someone away from the dinner table.
We used to have the same rule. Then my sons turned 15 and all their friends were in the house. 5 fifteen-year-olds can eat my salary in an hour.
That is certainly true enough. I still love it when people enjoy what I cook. I think I get that from my mother. Our kids were picky eaters back when they were teens, but if it was something they liked, there were seldom leftovers, even if it was a very big meal.
I can smell it from here. Wow, great recipe.
I love getting a roast and cooking it up. That is 2-3 days worth of food. :))
This is One mouth watering post. Hehehe.
LOL…thanks! I thought about it the night before last when I cooked a rump roast.
I am sure all those, having the ability to cook or bake something, will benefit from your post!
Thank you very much! I sincerely hope so.