The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends roasting when cooking meats that are tender. “To roast, meat is placed on a rack in a shallow, uncovered pan and is cooked by the indirect dry heat of an oven. To keep the meat tender and minimize shrinkage due to the evaporation of moisture, a moderately low oven temperature of 325 °F should be used.”
Since the meat is seared during roasting, the flavor is enhanced especially when a crusty brown surface is formed and the juices react to the process known as Maillard reaction or as caramelization (as per Wikipedia). This does not mean a sweeter flavor in meats, but more of that rich, savory flavors given off by cooked meat.
Roasting is also appropriate for large cuts of meats (hence, whole turkeys, whole chicken, whole duck, pork tenderloin, rump roast, rib roast and others). It is important, however, to observe safety especially in maintaining the appropriate internal cooking temperature of the meats. That’s also the reason why most of the stuffing for chicken and turkey is cooked or just served on the side.
According to the USDA website, they “do not recommend cooking meat and poultry at oven temperatures lower than 325 °F because these foods could remain in the "Danger Zone" (temperatures of 40° to 140 °F) too long. Bacteria which may be present on these foods multiply rapidly at these temperatures.”
Source: Gourmandia
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