FoodBanter.com - View Single Post

On 25 Dec 2003 15:30:31 -0800, (Ada Ma) wrote:

>I'm wondering if it is necessary to baste while roasting. Are there
>some sort of meat that definitely need basting? Most importantly,
>what does basting add to the finished product?

Basting adds some flavor and prevents meat from drying out. Mostly
used for roasted birds.

>Sometimes people
>recommend that one should rest a roasted bird before cutting - is this
>necessary for all meat?

It's said to have something to do with allowing the juices to
consolidate back into the meat. TV and cookbook demos show this to be
true -- that is, a roast or bird that's cut into without a rest will
spill a lot of juice around, while one that has been left to sit for a
time has juice in the meat, not on the plate. Many roasts will also
continue to cook after being removed from the oven, so the resting is
process of finishing up the cooking. This is recommended for both meat
and poultry. There was a recent discussion here about fish, but I
didn't see any conclusions.
>
>Lastly, you see those supermarkets / fastfood store that have chicken
>roasting machines - well I never see them baste their chicken is it
>because the rotation sort of replaces basting?

I believe rotisserie roasting does not *require* basting because the
rotation of the meat keeps it basted with it's own juices. After all,
one often bastes with the juices that collect in the bottom of the
pan.