Zz Yzx wrote:

> I tried Alton Brown's method for Christmas: start in a 200 deg oven,
> cook to desired internal temp, let cool, then back into a 500 deg oven
> to brown. He uses an inverted terra cotta pot to cook in; I souldn't
> find one that fit right.
>
> It cam out great.
>

Good work. That method does work well. I use it with all kinds of
different cuts. The essence of it is that you can cook meat in phases,
and, a little cooling down between phases doesn't hurt it a bit.
Stuff doesn't actually have to cook 100% continuously.

Another key point, and I think you figured it out, is that you don't
actually need the pot. That's purely an Alton thing. His expressed
theory is that it makes the heat more even, which is certainly does,
in barely measurable, tiny amounts.

As it happens, reasonably even heat is good enough. It doesn't have
to be perfectly even down to 25 decimal places. Only in Alton's head.

(Alton probably doesn't really think it makes a big difference
in the end product either. Gadgets and Tricks are his marketing hook
and in a very crowded field of celebrity chefs he hopes you will
remember his recipe specifically because of the silly pot trick)