Recipe: Holiday Meat Roasting Time and Temperature Chart

ROASTING HOLIDAY MEATS
Source: USDA

Because holidays are special times people tend to spend more money for a specialty meat. These fancy meat, and poultry may cost more because they are exceptionally tender or special.

Roasting is the recommended method for cooking tender meats. To roast, meat is placed on a rack in a shallow, uncovered pan and is cooked by the indirect dry heat of an oven. To keep the meat tender and minimize shrinkage due to the evaporation of moisture, a moderately low oven temperature of 325 degrees F should be used.

The USDA does not recommend cooking meat and poultry at oven temperatures lower than 325 degrees F of because these food, could remain in the "Danger Zone" (temperatures of 40 to 140 degrees F) too long. Bacteria which may be present on these foods multiply rapidly at these temperatures.

Boned and rolled meats require more cooking time per pound than bone-in cut, because it takes longer for the heat to penetrate through the solid meat.