Roasting Rules

Your goal in cooking a roast is to keep it as tender and juicy as possible. These steps ensure success:

• Remove the roast from the refrigerator up to 2 hours before you put it into the oven. This gives it a chance to warm up to room temperature and cook evenly.
• Make sure the oven is preheated before you put the roast in.
• Do not salt the exterior flesh of the roast. (Salt draws the juices to the surface, so wait until you serve it to salt the meat.)
• Take into account that bones conduct heat, so bone-in and partially boned roasts require slightly less time to cook through than boneless cuts.
• Allow about 1 pound of meat per person if a roast contains a bone, and 1/2 pound per person if it is boneless.
• Always use a meat thermometer—preferably the instant-read type—inserted into the thickest part of the flesh, away from bone, fat, and gristle.
• Before carving, let the roast stand for at least 20 minutes after you remove it from the oven to allow the flesh to reabsorb the juices.