Use a Cooling Rack in an Oven
Datetime:2014-11-17 Hits:
It's a rare kitchen that has room for every gadget and utensil, so for most home cooks it's important to get the most varied use you can from the items you already own. Cooling racks provide a fine illustration of that principle. Aside from their primary purpose, helping hot foods cool, they can make a useful accessory when you're preparing foods in the oven.
The Right Rack for the Job
Not all cooling racks are suitable for use in the oven, so you'll need to exercise a bit of judgment. Racks of plain stainless steel are perfectly suited to the oven's heat, as are chromed racks. Chromed racks have the added advantage of being easier to clean, because of their non-porous surface. Coated racks are more problematic. Some have the same kind of heatproof non-stick surfaces you'd find on pots and pans, while others have heat-sensitive plastic or nylon coatings. In general, if the coating feels soft when pressed with your thumbnail, you probably shouldn't use it. If in doubt, heat the rack to 250 degrees Fahrenheit in your oven. If the coating softens perceptibly, it's unsuitable for the oven.
The Roast's Roost
The fat and drippings that collect in the bottom of your roasting pan pack lots of flavor and can be used to make rich sauces or gravies, but you don't necessarily want your bird or your roast to bathe in them. Many -- but not all -- roasting pans come complete with a wire rack to lift your entree above the drippings. If yours omitted that nicety, you can use a cooling rack instead. It should fit the pan neatly and be sturdy enough to hold your roast without bending or buckling. If your rack doesn't lift the roast far enough from the bottom of the pan, raise it by resting it on balls of aluminum foil.
Open-Pan Roasting
It can also be useful to have a rack that corresponds to your favorite size of baking sheet. Position your rack over a sheet of foil or parchment to speed cleaning, and you'll have a versatile multi-purpose cooking platform. For example, you can prepare bacon for a crowd by laying strips across a rack and baking them until crisp. Baking meatloaves free-form on a rack, rather than in a loaf pan, permits surplus fat to drip away and leaves a healthier end result. The rack and pan arrangement also works well for heating frozen pizzas, pre-cooked chicken wings or any other food that's best if crisp when reheated.
Special Uses
Small and unusually shaped cooling racks or wire trivets, their close cousins, can provide similar advantages in your favorite baking dishes and casseroles. Place a round rack in the bottom of your Dutch oven to increase its versatility, or use square and oblong racks in deep casseroles. These work well for roasting meal-sized quantities of chicken parts, sausages or fatty chops, without dirtying a larger pan. Alternatively, fill the bottom of the dish with a flavorful liquid and oven-steam delicate fish or chicken breasts in the aromatic vapors.
