The Science of Resting

  • Looking for something on the actual science of resting meat after cooking.
    I like the just try and see approach, but also like to have some hard numbers behind what I play with.

    Done the standard google search, and gone through this forum and some FB groups.
    There is a lot of discussion about it, and some semi methodical testing, but what Im looking for is something a bit more hard science.

    The hows, whys, whats, and wherefores of resting.

    Anybody seen anything?

  • Have you checked out the amazing rib’s website. They go into the science of cooking.

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  • From memory there are some Heston videos out there where he goes over the science of it.



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  • I just can't get my head around leaving a good steak sitting for 10 minutes uncovered. I know I should but my brain is telling me to wrap it in foil which only serves to cook the steak past what I like.

    I haven't looked it either up but I'd be interested to know more about why it works.

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  • I found "amazing ribs" in my searches, but the articles I found were a bit ... hit and miss

    I will look for Heston's vids. He does a lot of that kind of thing.

    My steaks rest for the time it takes from coking to plate to table.

  • I just can't get my head around leaving a good steak sitting for 10 minutes uncovered. I know I should but my brain is telling me to wrap it in foil which only serves to cook the steak past what I like.

    I haven't looked it either up but I'd be interested to know more about why it works.

    I've been taking them off blue, wrap in foil and they come up to pink. In degrees that's about 47->54

    -ish, I guess.

    I like it to still be warm after the rest, so like you resting it uncovered doesn't seem right.

  • Resting Meat: Why I Think It Is A Mistake, and Why I think Holding Some Meat Is A Good Idea
    Stop worrying about resting meat after it is cooked. Serve it hot. We bust this myth with a review of the scientific research, some tests of our own, some…
    amazingribs.com

    Pretty strong argument against resting steaks. Even if taking off early and wrapping, eliminating issues with it cooling, they point out that the crust won't be as nice. And in their testing it didn't affect moisture loss much at all.

  • I find that whether or not I rest I get a chopping board or plate full of juices. Not sure what I've been doing wrong.

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  • Not sure what I've been doing wrong.

    It might be that the internal meat temp is being raised too high, which leads to the meat cells bursting.

    One of the things I've liked sous vide followed by a quick super sear, is that I can make sure it doesn't go above 55c, which results in medium to well done, without a lot of moisture loss and the usual pooling of juices.

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  • Some anecdotal feedback

    I cooked steak 3 nights in a row.
    2 nights on the pellet grill at 120C for about 45 mins. (Medium Rare, No reverse searing)
    1 night in the oven at a hotter temp and faster cook (late night and too tired to do the bbq thing and a done just over Medium)
    All rested about as long as it took to get to plate and then to table

    The lower slower bbq thing turned out much juicer steaks but that juice didnt go everywhere on the plate.
    sadly the oven steak was a bit more cooked than normally go for and was a touch drier, so no juice on the plate.

  • Blonder et al (Amazing Ribs) have concluded, rather unconvincingly that "Resting" does not retain the juices in the meat.

    My problem with this statement is they seem to be looking at Cooking and Resting as two separate things.

    I prefer to see Resting as part of the cooking process.

    Cook till just before the temp you want and allow the residual heat in the meat to finish the job while the tension in the meat fibres relax a little.

  • sadly the oven steak was a bit more cooked than normally go for and was a touch drier

    An oven is a dry heat whereas a pellet cooker or any cooker using wood has moisture content in the vapours which helps retain moisture in the food.

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  • Depends on Gas or Electric oven. I think NG & Propane give off more h20 then pellets. I was gonna tell you to go to UG's site but I see he has already weighed in with the...Bingo...I must be in the Front Row... answer!

    "‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’”

  • As far as resting goes, I'm not sure that it makes any difference to the mouthfeel or moisture level, but I do prefer a hot steak to a cold one and if I rest it's only by accident.

    There is something to the change in flavour profile after a prolonged rest (overnight).

    My reheated steaks always seem to have a more pronounced smoke flavour than the freshly cooked ones.

    Mind you I've never tested it scientifically, so it could simply be due to my own senses being dulled to smoke flavour when I've just been cooking in a smokey environment, whereas the next day I get to the steak without exposure.

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  • Depends on Gas or Electric oven.

    Good point I was assuming an elecrtic oven which is more the standard these days.

    Big Green Egg - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Weber Kettle - Maximus Pizza Oven - Dragon Hibachi - Ziggy Portable - baby kamado - Grillz 2 burner - Cobb BBQ - Converted Gas Bottle Spit - Charbroil Grill2go - Anova sous vide - Digi Q controller - plus Tip Top Temp - Smokeware cap - Grill Grates

  • My reheated steaks always seem to have a more pronounced smoke flavour than the freshly cooked ones.

    Same goes for reheating brisket or pulled pork etc. The meat flavour is definitely stronger the next day.

    Big Green Egg - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Weber Kettle - Maximus Pizza Oven - Dragon Hibachi - Ziggy Portable - baby kamado - Grillz 2 burner - Cobb BBQ - Converted Gas Bottle Spit - Charbroil Grill2go - Anova sous vide - Digi Q controller - plus Tip Top Temp - Smokeware cap - Grill Grates

  • Definitely prefer hot fresh cooked meat. I think it has a little too do with the way the fats act with the heat, and not being the same when re heated.

    So far everything I've found has been related to steak and smaller cuts.

    So why are there recommendations to rest larger cuts like brisket for hours? I've seen everything from 2 to 10 hours.

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