Trussing is a process that cooks use to improve the look and taste of meat dishes. In poultry, a trussed bird is often juicier, more shapely and easier to carve than a nontrussed bird. Trussing a roast ensures that the meat cooks evenly.
Roast Beef Preparation
The only tools you need for trussing are a bundle of cotton kitchen string and scissors. The string bundles run about $5 and can be found both online and at your local cooking-supply retailer. To truss a roast, cut five equal lengths of cotton kitchen string. Each length should be long enough to wrap all the way around the diameter of the roast, with a bit of extra room to tie a knot. Take each length of string and wrap it around the roast, spacing the ties equally apart. Tie a knot to secure each string snugly around the roast.
Roast Beef Cooking
The recommended cooking time for roast beef varies significantly, depending on the type of meat and the size of the roast. The Food Safety and Inspection Service from the United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking a standard round roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 to 35 minutes for each pound of roast. When it is finished cooking, its internal temperature should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chicken Preparation
Trussing a chicken is slightly more complicated than trussing a roast. First, cut a length of cotton kitchen string that is about four times as long as the bird you are trussing. Fold the string in half and tie the middle of the string around the tail of the bird. Take the right half of the string and loop it around the bird’s right leg. Repeat this step with the left half of the string and the left leg. Pull the two strings together until the bird’s legs are touching. Now, take each half of the string and pass the string through the bird’s wings, one on each side. Fold the wings so that the twine is held tightly against the bird by the wings. Finish by flipping the chicken over and tying the string around its neck.
Chicken Cooking
The chicken's internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit when it is finished cooking. For an entire broiler-fryer that weighs between 3 and 4 pounds, this should take about one and a quarter to one and a half hours in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.
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