If you find yourself needing to tie your roast but you don’t have any twine on hand, you can still get your roast secured using alternative methods. This is great news if you do not feel like running to the store just to grab some twine.
This article aims to show you exactly how you can still tie your roast even though you don’t have twine. Before we delve into the other ways to tie roasts, you should first learn about why tying your roast is even necessary.
Reasons for Tying Roasts
There are two important reasons for tying a roast. One of these reasons is to hold stuffing inside of it so it can adequately soak up the meat’s juices, and the other is to keep the shape of the roast intact.
Without tying your roast, it can spread out and lose a bunch of its juices, which help keep the meat moist and flavorful while it cooks to perfection. Along with this, these yummy juices can help your roast cook more evenly.
Maintaining your roast’s shape also makes it more aesthetically pleasing, which might be especially important to you if you plan to serve it to guests as part of a dinner party meal.
Alternative Methods for Tying Roasts
Since tying your roast can make it turn out more delicious, finding a way to accomplish this task is vital even if you do not have twine in your possession.
You can easily use toothpicks or skewers, dental floss, or aluminum foil to get the job done. You may even find it easier to tie your roast using something other than twine.
First, we will take a look at the toothpick or skewer method for securing your roast.
1 – Toothpicks or Skewers
It is quite easy to utilize skewers or toothpicks for tying, or trussing, your roast.
It would probably be more efficient to use skewers rather than toothpicks, if this is an option for you, since they are longer and sturdier. Thus, you can push them further into the meat and secure it in position better.
Also, you will probably need to use more toothpicks since they do not hold as much meat. Of course, the skewers are reusable as well, so they are the more sustainable option of the two choices.
To truss your roast, take each toothpick or skewer and pierce it into the roast to hold its form together. If you are using skewers, you should only need about five or six of them to secure the roast, whereas if you are utilizing toothpicks, you will probably need several.
2 – Dental Floss
With this method for trussing your roast, you basically just need to tie it in the exact same manner you would with twine since it is also string. It is best to use an unwaxed variety, if you have some handy, so you do not leave behind unwanted wax in your roast.
The first step for tying your roast with dental floss (or twine) is to cut off the correct length of floss to use, which should be about three feet.
Next, pick a side of your roast to create a slip knot on, which will be the starting point of the process. This will allow you to tweak how tight the floss is while you are tying your roast.
After making the slip knot, you will create several half-hitch knots along the roast. To do this, you must first start by pulling some floss out and away from the slip knot to create a big loop; it should not be taut.
Put this loop around the roast, and then position it so that it is around an inch above the slip knot you initially created. Carry out this step repeatedly until you have covered the roast in its entirety.
Next, take the floss, and pull it vertically through each horizontal loop that is going around your roast. Do this for both the top and bottom of the roast, but be sure to make any adjustments to the floss that you need to before finishing this step.
After you have gotten the floss all the way around the roast, bring the end of it to meet the original slip knot you made, and create another final knot near this. Then, cut off the extra floss that is left over.
Your roast has been successfully tied with dental floss and is ready to be thrown in the oven.
3 – Aluminum Foil
Using aluminum foil is probably the fastest and easiest way to maintain the shape of your roast. This method will also contain the juices of the meat far better than the other techniques.
All you need to do is rip off a sheet of foil big enough to cover your roast, and then tightly wrap it around the meat to hold it in place. Keep in mind that your roast might cook faster using this method since it will get hotter due to the foil holding in heat.
Best Marinades for Roasts
Now that you know how to tie a roast without using twine, it would be a good idea to learn about the best marinades for your roast. This way, you can truly enjoy your meat to the max.
Beef
A delicious marinade that is perfect for various types of beef roasts includes a combination of all of these ingredients: lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, olive oil, brown sugar, dry mustard, soy sauce, dried basil, paprika, kosher salt, onion flakes, garlic salt, and black pepper.
You can marinate your beef roast for four to eight hours to get the juices to seep well into the meat. You can also leave it marinating in a container overnight to really get your roast bursting with flavor.
Pork
For a savory pork marinade, you can use the wet marinade firs, and then add the dry rub to the roast directly before throwing it in the oven.
For the wet marinade, you need maple syrup, apple cider, dried thyme, and salt. For the dry rub that is to be applied after you let the roast soak in the marinade for eight hours, you will require salt, onion powder, brown sugar, dried thyme, dried sage, and smoked paprika.
Similar to the beef roast, you can let the pork marinate for four to eight hours, or you can leave it until the fridge while it marinates in a sealed container overnight. Add the dry rub to the meat afterward.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that your mouth is watering after reading about how to tie your roast without twine, especially considering that this was followed by recipes for some delicious marinades.
No matter if you are cooking a beef roast or a pork one, if you can keep the meat of your roast held together properly throughout the cooking process, it will come out of the oven juicy and delicious.
There is one last word of advice you should know: to really get a juicy roast on your plate, bake your roast on a lower temperature for a longer duration.
This will get those juices even deeper into the meat, resulting in a tender hunk of savory goodness.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.