Basting is a supereasy and necessary cooking technique for keeping meats and poultry moist while being cooked and requires a bulb turkey baster such as this one or a basting brush like this. Here in this post, I'll discuss the proper way to baste.
Technique: How To Baste
Basting is used when roasting or grilling meats. The cooking juices in the pan, melted butter, a marinade, or other sauces are either brushed on the meat, or sucked from the pan into the turkey baster and squeezed out over the meat. You want to cover the entire surface of the meat with the liquid. Basting helps keep the meat moist, and adds flavor.
One important thing to know is that when you baste, you must remove the meat from the oven and close the oven door while you baste. Do not do the basting in the oven with the door open because you will lose heat, and it takes the oven a long time to regenerate that heat, which increases your cooking time. Remove your meat and place it on the top of the stove or a countertop, close the oven door, baste, and then put the meat back in the oven. Time is of the essence as you do not want to disturb the cooking temperature, so baste quickly!
The recipes will tell you how often to baste, but the general rule of thumb is:
• Large birds such as turkey, duck, goose: baste every 30-45 minutes
• A whole pig on a spit: once every hour
• Chicken parts: every 15 to 20 minutes
• Barbecuing meat: every 15 minutes
(Image: Kathryn Hill)
Comments (2)
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If you are going to baste, then the advice to baste outside the oven and not leave the door open is great advice, but in general I find basting overrated. And I make a great turkey.
view michelleb's profile
Yeah, in general basting seems unnecessary to me. Like Alton Brown says, skin was invented to keep water out. If the meat has skin on it, pouring juice over it isn't going to do much for the meat inside.
Basting won't do much to keep meat moist, but if the goal is to keep the meat well-sauced (cf, barbeque), then that's a whole other story. Slather that sauce on all you want, and definitely keep the oven door closed.
view RexManningDay's profile