In The Crust we Trust - Roasting Techniques

In the Crust we Trust

Developing a crust on a roast is extremely important.  The crust adds flavor, texture, dimension and depth.  The crust is developed by caramelizing the sugars in meat and by the Maillard reaction, a complex reaction between amino acids and sugars that produce sulphur compounds found in onions giving a more savory flavor to food.


The crust is almost always developed during the first part of the roasting process by one of two techniques:

1.       Oven searing uses the high heat of the oven (400°F to 450° F typically) to develop the golden brown crust.  Following are some searing times according to roast size:

A.      Up to 4 pounds – 20 minutes

B.      4 to 6 pounds – 30 minutes

C.      6 pounds or more – 40 minutes or more

2.       Pan searing develops the crust by cooking the meat first on the stovetop with a roasting pan, such as a sauté pan or preferably, a cast iron skillet.  The roasts are seasoned and then seared in the pan with a fat until each side of the roast is deep golden brown.  Pan searing is especially useful for developing a crust on smaller or more delicate meats, such as cote de boeuf.  I like to let the meat rest for a few minutes or even longer before finishing it in the oven.  This allows the heat to move to the center of the roast and further temper it.  Try using pan searing to develop a crust on the roast and then let it rest at room temperature while finishing other parts of the meal.  It’s a great trick to help out with timing.

Heat it up and settle it down!

It’s important to use high heat to get that beautiful golden brown crust, but if a roast is cooked at high temperatures for the entire time, the results would be dry, overcooked and chewy meat.  Therefore; it is important that once the crust is developed that the oven temperature is lowered to somewhere between 275°F to 325°F.  I prefer 300°F when finishing a roast.  So it’s high heat to develop the crust and then lower heat to gently finish cooking the roast.