Resting Meat and Poultry

It is essential that cooked meat be given a little time to relax after it is cooked. Heat causes the muscles to tighten and this is often why a steak may appear tough when, with 5 or more minutes’ rest, the same steak will be quite tender. Given time to rest, the juices are retained and distributed evenly through the meat, resulting in a juicier and more tender steak.

Rest cooked meat and poultry in a warm atmosphere, which can be as simple as a bowl placed over a saucepan of warm water with a loose covering of foil. A steak need only be placed on a little cake rack suspended over the pan or grill used for the cooking, while a large roasted joint or boneless cut will need about half its cooking time to rest - this is best done in a turned-off oven with the door a jar. Just remember never to seal up meat while it rests since this will steam the meat and risk spoiling the texture.