Interesting article about the myth of resting meat before serving.
Here are the high points:
1) The difference between the amount of juice spilled with resting and without resting is insignificant especially when one considers that juiciness depends on many other factors such as water that remains bound with proteins, melted fat, collagen converted to gelatin, and even saliva.
2) Far more important than resting the meat is cooking it to the right temperature. Once you get beyond 140?F, the moisture from water in any meat drops precipitously. The ultimate folly is the diner who orders a medium steak (140?F) and insists that it rest for 20 minutes. As meat sits around it can easily overcook from carryover. The best way to make sure you cook it properly and use a quality digital thermometer. I cannot stress this enough. Follow the red link and buy one that I have tested and recommended.
3) Season your meat properly with adequate salt, then, when the meat hits the proper temp, dive in while it is hot and crisp! Sizzling crisp crust is a major pleasure factor, perhaps more important than the small amount of water spilled. Chef Dave Arnold, author of the blog Cooking Issues, The International Culinary Center's Tech 'N Stuff Blog, says "Extra juice makes meat taste watery and bland. Moisture isn't necessarily your friend; delicious is your friend."
4) Juices lost in the grocery case, after thawing, and during cooking are far greater than those spilled after cooking.
5) In tests like Kenji's, five minutes rest was all that was needed to stanch most of the flow. In Blonder's tests, resting made no significant diff. If you still think resting matters, rest assured your meat will rest while you move it from cooker to the table, while you wait for everyone to be seated, while you taste all the other foods and drinks, and by the time you're into it more than a slice.
6) But most important, leave no juices behind! Blonder proved that meat will soak up almost all the juices spilled, rested or not. Pour the juices over the meat, and mop the rest up with the meat on your fork, with potatoes, rice, bread, or make a board sauce with it.
Here are the high points:
1) The difference between the amount of juice spilled with resting and without resting is insignificant especially when one considers that juiciness depends on many other factors such as water that remains bound with proteins, melted fat, collagen converted to gelatin, and even saliva.
2) Far more important than resting the meat is cooking it to the right temperature. Once you get beyond 140?F, the moisture from water in any meat drops precipitously. The ultimate folly is the diner who orders a medium steak (140?F) and insists that it rest for 20 minutes. As meat sits around it can easily overcook from carryover. The best way to make sure you cook it properly and use a quality digital thermometer. I cannot stress this enough. Follow the red link and buy one that I have tested and recommended.
3) Season your meat properly with adequate salt, then, when the meat hits the proper temp, dive in while it is hot and crisp! Sizzling crisp crust is a major pleasure factor, perhaps more important than the small amount of water spilled. Chef Dave Arnold, author of the blog Cooking Issues, The International Culinary Center's Tech 'N Stuff Blog, says "Extra juice makes meat taste watery and bland. Moisture isn't necessarily your friend; delicious is your friend."
4) Juices lost in the grocery case, after thawing, and during cooking are far greater than those spilled after cooking.
5) In tests like Kenji's, five minutes rest was all that was needed to stanch most of the flow. In Blonder's tests, resting made no significant diff. If you still think resting matters, rest assured your meat will rest while you move it from cooker to the table, while you wait for everyone to be seated, while you taste all the other foods and drinks, and by the time you're into it more than a slice.
6) But most important, leave no juices behind! Blonder proved that meat will soak up almost all the juices spilled, rested or not. Pour the juices over the meat, and mop the rest up with the meat on your fork, with potatoes, rice, bread, or make a board sauce with it.
