November is National Roasting Month, which means we’ve got the perfect excuse to throw a roast party after the big Thanksgiving dinner. Roasting is a method of cooking that uses dry heat. Hot air surrounds the food and cooks it evenly on all sides. This method is used to cook meat and vegetables with indirect or diffused heat, which is suitable for slow cooking. Roasting works well with chicken, turkey, steak, ham, beef, potatoes, and vegetables. With the Northern Hemisphere entering winter, November is the ideal month in which to roast a few meals.
History of National Roasting Month
One cannot imagine a holiday meal without a roast. A roast is easily the most delicious healthy alternative to fried foods. It enhances the flavor while cutting out unwanted calories that are usually associated with fried foods. Not only that, but it is also one of the most effortless ways to cook, as the oven does most of the work for you.
The origins of National Roasting Month are a mystery, just like the origins of the first roast meats, which were most likely discovered by accident by primitive humans. Roasting meat remained the only cooking technique until the Paleolithic Period. It was around this time when the Aurignacian people of southern France began to steam their food wrapped in wet leaves over hot embers.
The roasting spit was enhanced into various forms of fired-clay vessels, introducing new techniques of cooking which included boiling, braising, stewing, and possibly some earlier forms of frying, and oven-baking.
Over time, the traditional roasting methods disappeared and soon after that ‘baking’ came to be known as ‘roasting’ we all know today. Roasting can be used to cook a wide variety of meats. This method highlights the flavor of the meat rather than the sauce or the stew.
National Roasting Month is celebrated in November, which falls right around thanksgiving. This gives you the perfect opportunity to practice your roasting skills all through the month before the big thanksgiving dinner. Treat yourself to a classic pot roast, combining the heavenly flavors of meat, veggies, and spices simmering together to make a delicious meal for you and your family.
National Roasting Month timeline
The world's largest and oldest gastronomic society, “La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” forms in Paris for the art of roasting geese.
The first brick oven is built in France using brick and tile.
The Carpenter Electric Heating Manufacturing Company invents the electric oven.
The recipe for pot roast, the term for browned meat cooked with vegetables in a covered pot, begins appearing in cookbooks.
National Roasting Month FAQs
When is National Crown Roast of Pork Day?
March 7 is National Crown Roast of Pork Day when pork ribs are stood up to form a circle and roasted.
What are the national food days of November?
There are at least 32 food days in November, with just the first week including Pâté Day (November 1), Deviled Egg Day on November 2, Sandwich Day on November 3, Candy Day on November 4, Doughnut Day and Chinese Take-Out Day on November 5, and Nachos Day on November 6.
Why is Wendy’s roasting people on their Roast Day?
Since 2018, the restaurant chain has celebrated its own made-up holiday, Roast Day, February 11 each year, on which it targets companies and individuals with sharp jokes, or ‘roasts,’ often at their request.
How To Celebrate National Roasting Month
Make a pot roast
Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees. And slide in the baking dish with meat, vegetables, and spices. Pour water so that the food is slightly submerged and cover with tin foil. Bake for two to three hours and serve. It’s that simple!
Host a party
According to a study conducted by Yale University, food tastes better when you eat with other people. So why not enhance the flavor of the roast with the company of the people you love? Invite your friends and family to a nice roast dinner and spread the joy!
Learn to make a new dish
This month is a good chance to explore some great new roast recipes. Join a cooking class or simply search for some roast recipes online. You never know, you might stumble on some delicious new roast dishes that you can cook again later when hosting dinner for your family and friends, using either traditional or modern methods.
5 Flavorful Facts About Roasting
Early definitions of roasting
Originally, roasting meant cooking meat or a bird on or in front of a fire, using a grill or spit.
Beef was considered ‘vulgar’
As cattle did not have to be hunted, eating beef was considered ‘vulgar’ in the Middle Ages.
Spit boy or spit jack
Spit boys were servants during medieval times who rotated the meat over a large fire to cook them slowly.
The evolution of roasting
Up until the late 19th century, roasting by dry heat in an oven was called baking.
Rotisserie origins
The word 'rotisserie' comes from a French word for spit-roasting, which first appeared in Paris shops around 1450.
Why We Love National Roasting Month
Roasted food is delicious
Roasting helps improve the flavor, color, and aroma of food. It makes the meat tender, delicious, and more appetizing. Properly grilled meat is easier to digest than when it is cooked by other methods
It is a healthier alternative
Roasting is a healthier alternative to frying foods. Roasting develops the flavor of the food without adding unnecessary calories to it. Roasting serves as a healthier alternative to fried foods without compromising on the flavor.
It is effortless
With roasting most recipes start with meat, vegetables, and simple seasoning, the rest is taken care of by the oven. Another good thing about roasting is the way your kitchen smells during the process, which is the easiest way to gather your whole family on the dining table without having to call them.
National Roasting Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | November 1 | Saturday |
| 2026 | November 1 | Sunday |
| 2027 | November 1 | Monday |
| 2028 | November 1 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | November 1 | Thursday |
