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Best way/temperature to rest meat

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Geoff Johnson 
#1 ·
I’m trying to determine the best way of resting steaks, duck breasts etc. In particular, what is an ideal temperature to test meat in? Some possibilities: room temperature on a cold plate, room temperature on a warmed plate, in a proofing drawer, in a cool over (say 110 degrees).

So, pro chefs: how do you do it?

Cheers,
Geoff
 
#2 ·
I'm not a pro so I'm not facing your scale issues. I don't think there's a single approach.

I rest a steak covered at room temp. A roast turkey I tend to stuff in an unused microwave as much to.keep it out if the way as rest it. And that microwave tends to be warmer than room temp.

So meats cooked to two different finished temperatures will be rested differently than each other or ones that skin needs to keep crispy.

With sous vide, I can largely ignore resting entirely.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Hi and welcome to CT. :)

I think you may be overthinking this one. The time to rest certain roasts, steaks and whole roasted birds varies depending on factors such as size and especially depending on who you ask. For instance, I've been told by chefs with decades of experience that a roasted turkey should rest for 45 minutes to an hour before carving. On the other hand, I've also heard experienced chefs insist that a roasted turkey should rest for as much time as it took to roast.

But, you have to remember, in the professional world, we have strict rules that apply to holding food that do no necessarily apply in the home kitchen. So, we may not give you the precise answer that you are looking for.

Because the internal temperature of a roasted piece will rise while resting and the amount of that rise depends largely on the size, you pull the meat from the oven at an internal temperature calculated based upon an expected rise in temperature while resting at room temp which varies. Room temp in a house is generally around 70'F. Room temp in a commercial kitchen can be far warmer.

However, all thing being equal, the internal temperature of a steak can rise 3-5'F while resting at room temperature depending on its size. The internal temperature of a large roast or bird, on the other hand, can rise as much as 15'F while resting at room temperature.

Changing the temperature at which proteins rest will most likely change the number of degrees the internal temperature will rise as it rests thus effecting the final temperature of the piece. I suppose you could perform some sort of experiment and record the various increases of internal temperature at different room temperatures, if that satisfies your intellectual curiosity. But, as far is I know, this issue is not much of a going concern among pro chefs. Maybe in the world of Haute Cuisine or Gastrology its a thing with certain proteins or techniques.

But, in general, unless there is a reason to stop the cooking process, we let our steaks, chops, roasts and birds rest at whatever room temperature we're in. Some restaurants have rooms set apart from the heat of the kitchen where they let meat rest if the kitchen itself get too hot. But, other than that........:)
 
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