Resting Meat - A Busted Myth!?!?!

NibbleMeThis

I know a lot of people here have gotten some great info over the years from AmazingRibs.com.

That site's owner/operator, Meathead Goldwyn, was on BBQ Central Radio show last Tuesday being interviewed about his latest article in which he declares the mantra of "resting your steak" as a busted myth.  READ HIS ARTICLE HERE

While those of us in the live chat were gathering our "pitchforks and torches" and "tar and feathers" to show him what we thought of his heretical theory, he laid out his experimentation on this and his team's findings.  They did present some interesting quantitative results that showed the liquid loss differences between rested and not rested steaks was negligible. 

I'm not changing anything I do with steaks and such just yet.  But Meathead is one smart & objective guy.  He's never steered me wrong, so I'm keeping my mind open.  I'd like to see some qualitative tastes tests (double blind, of course) to see if they match up with the data their experiments produced.  The proof is in the eating, right?

Did you catch the live interview or have you read the article?  What are your thoughts?

HogHeaven

You committed a sin in this post... These people hate it whenever you use Meathead as a source. I used to spend a lot of time on this site and used to quote Meathead often. I took so much grief from the members I just went away for about 2 years. Now I just lurk around every once in a while. Meathead and his group are highly respected by the BBQ, smoking communities and he is often asked to judge at the biggest competitions in the country. I spend much more time on his website than I do on here for sure.

Legume

?

I only started reading this site just over a year ago before I bought my egg. I have not seen any of what you're saying @HogHeaven‌

I do see lots of references to @NibbleMeThis and can't say I've ever seen a negative one.

Cookinbob

I went to Amazingribs.com once and got some pretty good information, but they were counting the pages I visited and suggesting I Join the Pitmasters club for $23.95 per year.  I don't begrudge anybody making a living and not all content should be free, but they were a little too forward and it turned me off.  I'll take this forum and nibblemethis any day.  I have no problem with anybody quoting another site as a reference.

Zmokin

I've never let my steaks rest, because I've always felt it's just letting them get cold.
I don't want to eat a cold greasy steak, I want to eat a nice hot / warm steak.

Nature Boy

I do love when myths are busted. Not only do we learn something new,, but now you don't have to believe anyone who says that again!

But…..Resting could actually be good for other reasons. With a large roast/turkey, etc, it is nice to pull it off the cooker shy of the target temperature. It will finish cooking as it rests, and the temps will equalize between the outer and inner parts.

Note: I have not done any exhaustive lab testing on this

Cheers!

Chris

cazzy

HogHeaven said:

You committed a sin in this post... These people hate it whenever you use Meathead as a source. I used to spend a lot of time on this site and used to quote Meathead often. I took so much grief from the members I just went away for about 2 years. Now I just lurk around every once in a while.

Meathead and his group are highly respected by the BBQ, smoking communities and he is often asked to judge at the biggest competitions in the country. I spend much more time on his website than I do on here for sure.

Sin? Nah...NibbleMeThis has "original thoughts" and doesn't copy/paste Meathead's findings in response to every thread. The whole point that went over your head before your self induced departure was to post your opinion as it was fatiguing that 90% of your posts were you quoting amazingribs.

I will say that it's quite fitting that a meathead post pulled you out of your hole. Welcome back or goodbye again!

nolaegghead

I respect meathead. I think he's right about 80% of the time. Much higher than most BBQ pundits.

HogHeaven

Cookinbob... I've studied the Amazing Ribs website for 6 years. They answer my questions promptly and work me trough any problem I may be having. The website is 100% free. It asks you IF you want to join the Pitmaster club, they certainly don't insist on it. They have certified experts to answer any question you may have... I prefer to seek advice from an expert that can show scientific facts why the reverse sear is a superior method of grilling a steak compared to those that think sear first is a better method. i prefer to hear their scientific facts as to why grill marks are a bad idea. I prefer to hear their scientific facts about why letting a steak rest for 5 minutes after coming off the grill is a myth. Facts are a funny thing... You take a horse to the trough but you can't make him drink. I didn't criticize Nibblemethis at all. Infact I like his contribution so much I scrolled through all of his post over the last 6 years. He is more than your average backyard chef. He too visits the Amazing Ribs website I see.

Legume

60% of the time, you're right every time.

Tjcoley

For me there is a difference between a steak and a roast. One of the best steak places around here serves the steak on a sizzling hot steel plate. It cooks to perfection as it is served. No rest needed. Very hot and just right when you slice into it. If you eat slow it can over cook. Never a problem for me. For roasts, a rest period, either FTC or just on the counter seems to help. Lots of ways to make a good meal. Steaks on the Egg I usually pull off and eat.

nolaegghead

You let steaks rest after cooking because they are not done cooking.  Didn't read the article, but most people mistakenly consider the cooking stopped when the heat source is removed.

You let long, low n slows (that are overcooked) rest so they don't release what little moisture they have through steam when you slice/serve them, and they will (at 200F) have to cool anyway lest you burn your tastebuds off - better to get an IV or tube feeding if you lack the ability to enjoy your food with a dead sensory organ in play.

The "moisture redistribution" theory is simply perception of a different issue - evaporation.

 

nolaegghead

Let me add, you can eat both immediately, with the steak you can in fact arrest overcooking by slicing and eating.  With the roast, there may be enough fat to not make a difference.  When dressed with bread and sauce, it isn't very noticeable. 

I concur there's no NEED to rest, but there is an effect on the food, that varies, based on how and what you're cooking.

cookingdude555

I firmly believe my steak will get all the rest it needs in my belly.  There is no need letting it be lazy on my plate.

Austin Egghead

Thanks for the post and the links, very interesting read.
The amount of rest time a steak gets at our house is dependent on time it takes to bring the sides to the table after the ribeye has come off the egg. I dont worry about the juices on the platter. The sliced meat can be run thru the juices and whatever juice left over at end of meal ....well that is what bread is for, sopping up the leftover.

SoCalWJS

I read the first part of the article and got to the part commenting on the photo showing side by side plates and the remark that they told the tale.

Looking at them, it sure looks like one was partially wiped up - am I seeing things?

DGarner211

SoCalWJS said:

I read the first part of the article and got to the part commenting on the photo showing side by side plates and the remark that they told the tale.

Looking at them, it sure looks like one was partially wiped up - am I seeing things?

No, he addresses that in the article.

"Look at the two plates at the top of the page. No juices left behind! The plate on the left shows juices from a steak that did not rest. The plate on the right held a steak that rested 15 minutes. Not much waste is there? That's because my wife and I mopped up all the juice we could with the meat on our forks. (The slight color difference is because one steak had a tiny bit of char on some of the fat and it colored the juice.)"

I'm not following, though, how plates that have been "mopped up" are supposed to really show us anything about resting vs. not resting.

pgprescott

Resting becomes a more valuable exercise the larger the protein is that is being cooked.

fishlessman

didnt see it but in regards to resting, did he make the mistake of resting it in a plate, the correct way is a short rest on a rack. the cold plate seems to pull more juices out of a resting steak

Spring Chicken

It seems that most of what we've been told is not exactly true, with some of it being frighteningly untrue.  

Makes me wonder about everything I read, or see, or eat, or ..........

Spring "I'm Slowly Being Poisoned With False Information" Chicken

Spring Texas USA

Aviator

Its an age old lesson. An excited muscle will contract. Even a de-inervated (dead) muscle.

Its protein and does what its designed to do. Like EMG studies.

If a muscle is stretched beyond a limit or stimulated with electricity or heat, it will contract violently.

So if you sear a steak, as in reverse sear, You will have a contracted piece of muscle that will be so hard and chewy, if eaten right away. Let it rest a few and the muscle will relax to let you enjoy what you have just created.

Don't believe me? go back to your basic frog experiments. Starlings law.

iyacyas

I DO NOT CARE what others say. I have always and always will let my steaks rest... In my belly