Does roast mean bake or broil?
This brief article will answer the question: Does roast mean bake or broil and three basic differences in these processes.
Does roast mean bake or broil?
No roasting does not mean baking or broiling. These three are different terms and are used for different purposes
Roasting:
Roasting is the cooking of meats and vegetables using air heated by the oven. In it, the air radiated from the oven is heated and used to cook the product. The temperature of the oven is kept from 120°F to 500°F. The meat or vegetables are cooked in only cookware filled with drippings. Sometimes a grill is used to air the food a little.
Baking:
In this method, pre-cooked food is baked in an oven; the food is batter or mixture. The food is in a container or cookware lined with butter to avoid burning of food. The maximum temperature for a limited time is used in this process.
Broiling:
Broiling is the cooking method in which direct heat is used to cook the food product. The cooking is rapid, and cookware is placed close to heat.
Roasting vs Broiling:
The difference between Roasting and broiling is the source of heat. In Roasting, the heat is coming from Top and bottom, while in broiling, heat is only coming from one source, i.e. Top. Broiling and Roasting involve the heating of fat on the surface of food, and Roasting is done to cook food, while broiling is done towards the end of the cooking process
Roasting vs Baking:
Roasting and baking are different in their temperature. Baking requires a lower temperature as 375°F. Roasting requires more heat than baking; the temperature can go up to 400°F and above. Another difference is the covering of pans. Roasting is done without covering the pan at all while in baking; the pan is covered sometimes
Baking vs Broiling:
The main difference between baking and broiling is the characteristic of food. In baking, mostly liquid or semi-liquid is cooked to a light brown colour product. In broiling, solid pieces of meat or food are cooked quickly at high temperatures.
Another difference is the process interval, and baking requires a long time to complete while broiling is done quickly.
The difference among them:
- Heating:
Roasting, baking and broiling all three of them require heating of the food. In Roasting and baking, the cooking is slow, while in broiling, it is quick. Broiling is sometimes used to give a finishing touch to the food already cooked, so to avoid overcooking it, the process is done quickly. Sometimes instead of cooking in the oven, a scorching torch is used for cooking in the broiling
- Cooking temperature:
In broiling, food is placed close to the heat source for maximum heat to reach it. In baking, indirect heat reaches to food via cookware, and cookware is lined with butter or parchment paper to avoid burning. In Roasting the food’s inner heat, the air in the oven and steam from dripping is used for cooking the food. In Roasting, the upper layer is cooked till it turns brown, then the centre is cooked to ensure even cooking of food
- Color Change:
Broiling turns the food brown just like grilling, but Roasting and baking slowly turn the surface golden brown, and then heat is lowered to cook food evenly. The temperature is continuously changed, sometimes to bake the batter evenly
Baking basics:
Baking requires more time than Roasting because the food is not exposed to high heat in it. Medium heat is required to turn the outside golden brown and cook the inside of the food evenly.
Products that are baked:
- Cakes
- Pies
- Bread
- Skinless poultry
- Fish
- Meatloaf
The latter three are baked because roasting them will result in the burning of meat as they require medium temperatures
Roasting Basics:
Roasting is different from baking as it starts from high heat, and the temperature is later reduced. A brown crisp is attained over food by high heat and then cooked at low heat to cook the centre. Some of the items that are roasted:
- Whole poultry with skin
- Prime rib of animals
- Dense vegetables like potatoes
- Carrots
- Turkey
Broiling basics:
It is similar to grilling but done indoor in an oven and not outside on grills. In it the food is cooked near to heat and brown colour is obtained. It is also used to add a finishing touch to cooked foods by heating them quickly to get brown colour.
Products that are broiled:
- Steaks
- Pork Chops
- Melting of cheese over baked chicken
- Scorch an open-faced sandwich
- Sauteed chilli peppers
In the last four, broiling is done to add the finishing touch to the prepared food
Conclusion:
In this brief article, we have answered whether roast means bake or broil and three basic differences in these processes.
If you’ve enjoyed ”Does roast mean bake or broil?”, take a look at ”What is the best way to cook an arm roast?” too.
References:
- https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-roasting-and-baking-word-of-mouth-211695
- https://thewholeportion.com/recommends/HellofreshUS
- https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-cook-on-the-george-foreman-outdoor-grill/