A process by which a mixture of liquids (stocks, marinades, juices, etc.) and/or melted fats are poured over a cut of meat (in the vast majority of cases where the term is used) and is then cooked in the resulting mixture. This technique is most often used in conjunction with roasting and other similar techniques. Though the history of the methodology, especially its origins, is difficult to determine, basting probably arose out of a desire to keep the food being cooked moist through the cooking process.

There are a variety of tools that you can use for basting. Currently, the two most popular tools are a basting brush or a basting bulb, which you have probably seen during Thanksgiving, a science classroom, or a cartoon. After all, in pop culture, the basting technique has become almost synonymous with the idea of preparing a turkey; this is despite how some people have shifted away from basting a turkey. Still, there are plenty of other cases where you might use the technique.