On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:28:03 -0800, sf wrote:

> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:51:19 -1000, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> On 12/19/2010 7:22 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> The temperature you cook it at defines how evenly cooked it is.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>> This is entirely correct however, simply stating a truth doesn't really
>> say anything about why one should cook a roast at 250 but not 200 or 170
>> degrees. Your simple truth would seem to imply the it's better to roast
>> at a lower temperature to reduce the temperature difference between the
>> roast's surface and it's center.
>>
>> You're worried about microbes but I'd feel perfectly safe with a heavily
>> salted roast set in a 200 degree oven for a few hours.
>>
>> As it goes, I don't know how low you can go with this - few people have
>> experience with this slow roasting technique - including me. That said,
>> my experimentation with this has pretty much convinced me that anything
>> above 300 degrees is too high if you're aiming for a roast that's medium
>> rare.

250 is my temperature. It far too hard to judge when a roast is
going to be done when you'd cook it at 200F. This doesn't go over
too well if you'd like to serve guests or want to get the inlaws
out of the house ASAP.

Initial microbial concerns aside, the faster you cook it, the
longer any leftovers will last (in the fridge) before the quality
(and safety) degrades.

I find that 250F is the best temperature for a 6+ pound roast when
you take into account all the factors I consider important.

> Frankly, those people who have "perfect" rare produce a perfectly
> AWFUL piece of meat AFAIC. I want my meat charred or at least crusty
> brown on the outside and rare on the inside. To get that, there is a
> "transition", which I do not disapprove of.

Nobody here has debunked or neigh-sayed the fact that you will
either start or finish the roast at a high temperature. That is a
given. It's best to start it high to get the crust (and the
smell!) going the turn the heat down. Nobody in their right mind
would consider *not* putting a Maillard crust on a rib roast.

-sw