Why Meat Needs Its Rest After Cooking

Biting into a perfectly cooked tenderloin steak is such a pure eating experience. There’s something about honoring the inner carnivore that is immensely satisfying to the palette. This deeply satisfying experience can be diminished if you don’t allow your steak to rest properly before indulging.

https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/srfdryagedbeef.html

During the cooking process the protein fibers within meat first loosen and then become smaller and firmer the longer its cooked. During this process, the moisture previously contained within the protein’s cellular makeup is pushed out of the fibers and into the center. When the meat is removed from the source of heat and begins to cool, its protein fibers are able to relax again—allowing the expelled moisture to seep back into the meat and be reabsorbed.

Preserving this moisture is a critical component to enjoying a tender, juicy piece of meat. When you cut into your tenderloin steak without allowing it to rest, the liquid collagen center that should be reabsorbed instead leaks out and all over your plate, this is because you’ve severed the recovering protein strands too early. When you cut into a piece of meat too early, you’re interrupting the meat before it is fully ready.

Not only are the juices reabsorbing, but your meat shouldn’t finish cooking on heat. The other downside to not allowing meat to rest after cooking is there is carryover cooking. According to Thrillist, “with all foods, especially meat, there is carryover cooking. This means that even after you pull your steak from the grill or oven, it will continue to cook. To achieve the perfect desired temperature, pull off your steak a solid five degrees earlier, and it will rest to perfection by the time you cut it.”

If you’re concerned that your steak will cool too quickly while it rests, tent aluminum foil above the steak without letting it touch the steak. This tenting technique will allow the meat to cool more slowly, while still encouraging the protein juices to reabsorb.

This resting process can also work well for dry-aged beef.

About Snake River Farms

Snake River Farms is a family-owned beef business committed to total quality, sustainability, and the well-being of their animals. Founded in 1968, Snake River Farms has spent 50 years creating a company that is involved in every step of beef production, from start to finish. Their experience ensures that your meat is the best quality and most delicious. They feature superb cuts from American Wagyu, Kurobuta pork, dry-aged beef, and Northwest Beef, plus everything you need to display your BBQ prowess.

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