Nothing wrong with cheating
Anyone who has read my column and blog long enough knows that I have no problem with taking some shortcuts in the kitchen. Without certain shortcuts, I just don’t think double-income families (or even single income, for that matter) would be able to put a nutritious meal on the table on some nights.
I didn’t become a fan of cooking bags until I met my husband, Howard. And even after he began to sing their praises, I balked for a while. I considered them pedestrian. And if anyone reading this considers this whole topic pedestrian, just come back tomorrow, when I’ll be talking about flan.
Last night, I transformed a package of chicken leg quarters into delicious, falling-off-the-bone baked chicken with a little help from a bag-n-season kit. Those are the ones you find in the grocery aisle beside the gravy mixes and other envelopes of seasoning. They include a cooking bag, a twist tie and a pouch of seasoning. You throw in the meat, sprinkle in the seasoning, shake it around a bit, tie it off, put it in a baking pan and throw it in the oven on 350. Because I was using large quarters, it took about an hour and 15 minutes. But I got home from work at 6 p.m. and had dinner on by 7:30 with some rice and asparagus on the side.
If you don’t care for the seasonings that come with those bag-n-season kits, head to the aluminum foil and plastic wrap aisle and pick up a box of plain cooking bags. You can use any seasoning you want, including your favorite marinade.
The benefit of the bag, I think, is that it renders just about any cut of meat extremely tender and juicy in less time than a normal roasting and basting method. Check out a pork loin, some bone-in chicken or a beef roast in a cooking bag soon and let me know what you think.
October 4, 2007 - 2:08 PM
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You should cook a roast in one. Best roasts I’ve ever had come from a bag. Succulent, and just pink enough.
Now I’m hungry…way to go.
I agree with Rich, roasts are WONDERFUL in a bag! I also bake small turkeys and turkey breasts in a bag… and my dad always makes roast leg of lamb at christmas in a bag… when I was growing up I thought that was the only way to cook them! I didn’t know people just put roasts/turkeys/chicken on a pan and baked it.. how weird!
The great thing about making turkeys in a bag is that you don’t have to baste them…
bags are great!
I take help wherever I can get it. I have used the roasting bags and they do a great job. Anything that saves me time, especially Monday through Friday, is a bonus.
I can chop up lettuce for a salad, but on weekdays I used the bagged stuff to save time. I can make my own sauces, but when I want pasta on a work night, I use sauce from a jar. And I use my crock pot a lot, especially in the winter. As far as my family is concerned, it’s all good.
I need more information about the roast in a bag. What size roast, what kind, rump, tip, etc., how long do you bake it, the temp and what kind of seasonings do you put on it? Thank you.
Rich, Carrie, everyone, Ginger needs your help. I only do roasts in my Dutch oven and have only done chicken and pork in the cooking bag. If it were me, I’d just buy a box of oven bags and see what the recipes they include call for. But I’m sure someone else has better advice.
Nona, if you like crock pots, look for a wonderful, healthy crock pot recipe in my column next week. It’s called “Crock Pot Minestrone Casserole.”
Mmmmm…minestrone!
Rump roast. 6-8 pound. Rubbed with salt and pepper and some dry mustard.
Must use a thermometer! I baked at 325 until the internal temperature reached 135-140.
It is IMPARATIVE that you let it stand 10-12 minutes prior to carving.
Allow 17-19 minutes per pound for rare.
Sorry I don’t know more about different degrees of doneness. i only do rare.
I’ve done the roast in the bag before and I just picked out one that was the right size for my husband and I. I don’t usually get a particular type of roast, just whatever looks good and is the right portion. For those that eat venison, the roast bag works well for that too!
Yeah, my impression is that the cut of roast is not as important with the oven bag because the bag tenderizes the meat. Ginger, look at the instructions on the oven bags, though, because I think it says you have to put a Tbsp. of flour in the bag first and shake that around to coat the inside before you put in the meat and other ingredients. I think it keeps the bag from sticking to the roast or something.
You can also put in potatoes, carrots and such with the roast and make gravy with the juices just as you would if you were roasting in a Dutch oven.
I have yet to try the roast in the bag (I don’t think they make the cooking-for-one version quite yet…), but my mom used to just toss the meat in the bag and bake it on a cookie sheet. And she’d put those cut-up carrots and potatoes in the bag that Lindsey wrote about, too. Made everything really juicy and flavorful. Roast-in-a-bag has kinda become the taste of my childhood.
They seem fairly foolproof, and I can imagine they’d be great for a pot-roast kind of meal, but for better cuts of meat (which don’t require simmering in their own fat to tenderize them) you wouldn’t want to do the bag. A rib roast or tenderloin need to let the marbling drip away to keep them from tasting greasy. Plus that slight crust is important on a roast. My favorite way to prepare is to pat the roast with just enough bourbon to dampen the meat, then rub with coarse ground pepper and a little kosher salt. Put on the grill and cook with high indirect heat til done. Use a thermometer, and pull off the grill about 10 degrees before you want the final done-ness. Let stand before carving and then serve immediately.