Kitchen twine

Kitchen twine is strong, undyed cotton string that is safe to cook with. It holds meat in a tidy, even shape so it cooks evenly, keeps stuffing inside a rolled roast, and ties herbs into a bundle you can lift out of a pot. It is also sold as butcher's twine. Linen twine works the same way.

How to use it

To tie a boneless roast:

1. Cut a piece of twine long enough to wrap around the meat with plenty to spare.
2. Slide it under one end of the roast, about 2 to 3 cm (1 in) from the edge.
3. Tie a firm knot on top. Pull it snug so the meat holds its shape, but not so tight that it bulges.
4. Repeat every 3 to 4 cm (1.5 in) along the roast.
5. Trim the loose ends.

You also use it to truss a chicken so the legs and wings sit close to the body, to tie a bouquet garni, to hold a butterflied and stuffed piece of meat or a roulade closed, and to tie on a layer of fat when you bard lean meat.

Substitutes

Plain, undyed 100 percent cotton string from a craft store works. In a pinch, toothpicks or metal skewers can hold a small rolled piece of meat or a stuffed chicken breast closed. Silicone cooking bands are reusable and do the same job.

Common mistakes

• Using colored, waxed or synthetic string. Dyes can bleed into the food, and nylon or plastic string melts.
• Tying too tight. The string cuts into the meat and squeezes out juice as it cooks.
• Leaving long loose ends near a gas flame or broiler, where they can burn.
• Forgetting to remove it before serving. Cut and pull it off after the meat has rested.

In recipes

"Tie at intervals with twine" means tying separate loops along a roast. "Truss the bird" means tying the legs together and the wings close to the body.