Resting meat question

fletcherfam · January 2013

Do you let all meat rest before serving?

Made a spatchcock chicken last night that I brined over night. I did it no skin as I saw a comment on here of doing it that way. We used raging river rub on it and everyone loved it. The wife said the recipe was a keeper.

Chicken was grilled direct at 400 for 1.5 hours. We were all hungry so I didn't let it rest. Chicken was moist but felt it could have been moister still.

So do you let your chicken rest before serving? If so how long?

Mickey · January 2013

I let most that I cook rest. Question on 90 min cook. I cook 400 direct raised (spatchcocked) for chicken/turkey. My 13 lb turkeys are ready in 90 min and the 4.5 chickens are ready in 50 min. Also the skin is very good cooked on the bird, if you don't want it pull after cook. I rest 10/15 min. I do like you and if hungry eat it ~:>

Chubbs · January 2013

90 mins seems long. I spatched a chicken last night. 4lbs and it was done raised direct at 400. It was done in less than an hour. 165 in breast and 180 in dark meat. Did you check temp?

fletcherfam · January 2013

I did check temp. My thermometer in the egg itself might be having issues. It wasn't working correctly the other day. I will calibrate it this week and that may have been my problem

500 · January 2013

I usually do chicken raised direct at 350, and shoot for 160 in the breast and 180 in the leg and thigh. Keeping the skin on will help with moisture retention, but it would add some fat. (I know you're watching that these days.) I still cook skin on, but then don't eat it (sometimes). Calibrating the Egg therm may make a difference. I bought a Tel Tru after a year with the Egg therm, cause it kept misreading. And I do rest the chicken tented with foil for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Arbucklej · January 2013

I like to let everything rest at least 10 minutes.....really helps to lock in the juices.

Skiddymarker · January 2013

fletcherfam said:

I did check temp. My thermometer in the egg itself might be having issues. It wasn't working correctly the other day. I will calibrate it this week and that may have been my problem

It is not the egg temp that matters so much, it is the meat temp. Did you check and remove when the thigh/leg was at 175, the breast at 155?

These temps with a 10-15 rest will guarantee moist, cooked chicken. Use a thermapen or other digital thermo. Cook to food temp, not time.

If you went 90 min at 400 dome direct your grid temp would be >400, so the bird was overcooked, that's why it lacked some moisture.

fletcherfam · January 2013

Sorry, to clarify raised direct with the Woo3.

I cooked to temp, don't have a thermapen, but used a standard meet thermometer and cooked to 160 at the breast.

Skiddymarker · January 2013

I might go out on a limb here and suggest you calibrate your meat thermo as well. Like Mickey, my experience is that cooked direct at 400 grid a chicken (3#-5#) is done in just slightly more than 1/2 the time you experienced, that is 50 minutes vs 90 minutes. Something is not right. With the skin off, I'd think cooking might even be faster.

Hope you find out what it was, but as the family liked and the "Boss" says it is a keeper, any improvements will be just fine tuning.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2013

Those bi-metal meat thermos are notoriously sketchy. I threw all mine out after ruining several meals trusting them.I would have saved money buying a Thermapen years ago with the food I ruined trusting those bi-metal food thermos

fletcherfam · January 2013

Yea the "boss" said next time to cook 2 of them. So I ageee with you @skiddymarker, if I dial it in even more I may be cooking chicken every week!!

Resting meat question

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