Roasting Rules

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

1. Remove the roast from the refrigerator up to two hours before you put it into the oven. This gives it a chance to warm up to room temperature and cook evenly.

2. Make sure the oven is preheated before you put the roast in.

3. 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.)

4. Take into account that bones conduct heat, so bone-in and partially boned roasts require slightly less time to cook through than boneless cuts.

5. Allow about 1 pound of meat per person if a roast contains a bone, and 1/2 pound per person if it is boneless.

6. Always use a meat thermometer -- preferably the instant-read type -- inserted into the thickest part of the flesh, away from bone, fat, and gristle.

7. 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.