COOKING TIMES, COOKING LOSSES AND ENERGY USED FOR COOKING LAMB ROASTS

ABSTRACT Cooking times and losses were monitored during cooking often each of eight kinds of lamb roasts. Roasts were cooked (163°C oven, not preheated) to be rare (60°C), medium (70°C) or well done (77°C). Cooking times and cooking losses significantly increased with increasing degrees of doneness. Cooking time recommendations were made based on the data. In a second study, cooking times, cooking losses and energy consumption were monitored during cooking of 100 each of boneless legs and boneless shoulder roasts. Ovens were either non‐preheated or preheated and roasts were fresh, frozen, thawed 12 h at 21°C, thawed 24 h at 1°C or thawed by microwaves. Gas consumption was slightly less for boneless shoulders roasted in non‐preheated ovens (21.2 cu. ft.) than for those roasted in preheated ovens (22.6 cu. ft.). Cooking times and losses were lower for fresh boneless shoulders and leg roasts versus those in the frozen or frozen‐thawed treatments. Statistically significant differences in gas consumptions for the five treatment groups were observed, but differences in cost of purchased energy were negligible.