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All About Juiciness, And Debunking The Resting Meat Rule:
It's Time To Give This Myth A Rest And Stop Crying Over Spilled Juices
"Every time someone calls it blood, a teenager somewhere becomes a vegan." Meathead
By Meathead
What is juiciness?Food scientists tell us that when we taste meat, the most important measures of quality that we look for are What we perceive as juiciness is complicated. In the journal Meat Science, in 2011 Pearce, et al, surveyed the literature to present a summary of what is known of water in meat and they say "Total water content of the meat and cooking loss cannot explain juiciness of the cooked meat product." Scientists have machines that can measure tenderness by the amount of pressure needed to pierce a piece of meat, but there is no machine that can measure juiciness. Juiciness is a human perception, not a subjective measurement. Blonder explains "In a steak, going from 65 to 60% water might be unnoticeable, but 45 to 40% might take you from edible to a cardboard. Beef jerky is still 25% water by weight, but most people would say it was juiceless." So what influences juiciness? Here's a list of all that I could think of:
There are other factors that impact juiciness:
Notice that "resting" is not on the list. See my article on meat science for more on this subject. |
Attempts to prove the importance of restingTo get a handle on how much leakage occurs with and without resting, one would have to do carefully controlled lab experiments and repeat them multiple times on different cuts from different animals. But remember, that is only a measure of water loss, not juiciness! Food scientists use centrifuges, nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry, and other high tech tests. But that hasn't stopped cooks from attempting to get a measurement, even if it isn't accurate. Dr. Blonder's experiments on steaksI asked the AmazingRibs.com science advisor, Dr. Greg Blonder to look into the matter. He started by taking two 13.5 ounce ribeyes, each 1.5" thick, salted them with 1/3 teaspoon of table salt per pound, and let them sit for an hour or so in the fridge. This technique is called dry brining and is known to help the proteins retain moisture as well as improve flavor. He then cooked them to 125°F, medium rare, using the reverse sear method I recommend because it produces more tender and less overcooked meat. He immediately cut one steak into strips, collected the juices in a paper towel from the cutting board and the meat surfaces, weighed the towel on a sensitive scale, and subtracted the towel's dry weight. The "not rested" steak expelled about one ounce by weight through the whole process, most of it on the cutting board. Remember, the raw steak weighed 13.5 ounces. Within five minutes juices started emerging from the "rested steak" which sat for 30 minutes before Blonder cut it up. After he cut the meat up, he collected the juices, most of which were on the meat surface not the board, and weighed them. The total was about 85% of the one ounce collected from the not rested steak. An insignificant difference. Also, the meat temp rose to 145°F from carryover cooking, well past medium rare. Carryover could explain the fewer juices since the warmer meat is, the fewer juices it discharges. Not much juice left in a well done steak. Is this the reason people think resting meat preserves juices? To make sure his data was correct Blonder repeated his tests. Same results. And remember, Blonder did something most adults don't do. He sliced up the meat all at once. So by this measure alone, resting meat has no benefit. |
Exceptions that prove the ruleSome meats like pork ribs, pork butt, and beef brisket are often smoked low and slow up to about 203°F, waaaaaay past well done, well into the zone where water is supposed to disappear, and much of it does, especially on the surface as the "bark" is formed. But these cuts get their juiciness from rendered fat, melted connective tissue, and salty rubs that force you to salivate (see my article on meat science). Yes, I know that pork butts and beef briskets are often rested for an hour or so in an insulated box like a faux cambro after smoking, but that is for a different reason. That is to deliberately allow very gentle slow carryover cooking to continue to tenderize the meat. |
: "Large oven roasts should be allowed to rest on the countertop for at least half an hour before carving, not only to allow the 'afterheat' to finish cooking the center, but also to allow the meat to cool down, ideally to 120°F/50°C or so... As the temperature drops, the meat structure becomes firmer and more resistant to deformation and its water holding capacity increases. Cooling therefore makes the meat easier to carve and reduces the amount of fluid lost during carving."Mom always said that you had to rest an hour after eating before going for a swim. Happily, there has never been a documented case of drowning due to swimming after eating. Either we all obey Mom, or this is just another myth.
Likewise it is widely preached that we must let meat "rest" after it is cooked for fear that we might drown in all the escaping fluids when we cut it. Resting, we are told, makes meat more juicy. Steaks and chops are said to need 5 to 10 minutes, thicker roasts up to 30 minutes.
Fact or fiction? Hint: Much of the answer lies in the photo above. To get the whole answer, we need to look at
1) What causes juiciness,
2) What happens to meat when it leaves the heat,
3) How we eat in the real world,
4) Some of the experiments people have done to test the theory.
Some facts about meat
Think of meat as a protein sponge. Raw muscle is about 75% liquid. This liquid is not blood, which is dark red, almost black, thick, and it clots. There is no measurable blood in a properly slaughtered and butchered animal. Most of the liquids in muscle are protein laden fluids called myoglobin and myowater.
They are thin and usually pink when cooked, and they don't coagulate like blood. They are what you see on your plate when you cut into a piece of meat fresh from the heat. Remember, Zuzu, everytime someone calls them "blood", somewhere a teenager becomes a vegetarian.
What we call juiciness is not just a matter of how much water is in the meat we are eating. There are many factors (see sidebar at right). Among the other important factors are melted fat, connective tissues that have been converted to gelatin, and our own saliva. But the single most important factor is what temperature the meat is when it is done cooking.
When you cut into raw meat there is practically zero loss of liquid. Even if you grind meat for burgers there is no real liquid loss. That's because the liquids are bound by proteins and held by capillary action in the thin spaces in the muscle. Raw meat in the grocery display case might have 1 to 3% "drip loss" which is why they put that little absorbent pad under it. Much of this drip loss is due to the rupturing of cell walls while the carcass goes through rigor mortis, a shrinking and stiffening of the muscles after slaughter. Within a day, enzymes kick in and begin the tenderizing and aging process and the muscles relax. This is why freshly killed meat can be tough. It is usually best to let it rest a day or three.
If the meat has been frozen, water expands and ice crystals form. Remember the last time you stuck a beer in the freezer and forgot about it? The slower the freezing the bigger and sharper the crystals. These ice crystals puncture the cell walls and, depending on how the meat was frozen and thawed, another 3 to 5% of "purge" can emerge when the meat is defrosted.
During cooking, according to the amazing AmazingRibs.com science advisor, Dr. Greg Blonder, "The first 'sweat' occurs with water that is very loosely contained between fibers oozing out through relatively wide channels in the meat. Some of it drips off and some evaporates. As the heat increases, more tightly bound water is freed. Then, around 135 to 145°F, the collagen in the connective tissues that sheath muscle fibers and hold together bundles of fibers begin to shrink and eventually soften into gelatin. This squeezes on the muscle fibers, wringing out additional liquid, some myowater, and some myoglobin from burst cells. So the amount of released juices rises as you pass through 140°F. This is why meat cooked to higher temps gets dry."
Depending on how hot and how long you cook, there might be 10 to 25% water loss, mostly due to evaporation and dripping. Let's call it 15%. So a properly cooked steak is down to about 60% water, but most of it cannot escape when the meat is cut because it is bound by proteins and held by capillary action.
Why all the books say we should rest our meat
There are several explanations for why we should rest meat. Let's look at the most popular:
The pressure theory. The most widely repeated theory says that during cooking, muscle fibers, which resters say are like tiny skinny balloons, shrink along their length and expand across their width. Just like when you see meat "pulling back" along the bone. This puts pressure on the juices between the balloons and at the same time these juices expand pushing even harder on the balloons. If you cut into the meat when it is fresh off the heat, they say the juices come gushing out of the sliced balloons. If you let meat rest and cool, say the resters, water pressure drops, fibers relax, and fewer juices escape.
Not so, says the AmazingRibs.com meat scientist, Dr. Antonio Mata, "Water moves back and forth between compartments. It is not trapped in the fibers. Fibers are not baloons." So the pressure equalizes quickly. And at cooking temperatures, water does not expand much inside the muscle. Meat shrinks during cooking mostly because of dripping and evaporation. If the water was somehow pushed into and trapped inside expanding balloons, then, when the fibers cool during resting, they would shrink and would expel more liquid, not less. In other words, this theory just doesn't hold water.
The reabsorption theory. Another theory holds that the outer parts of the meat, which are much hotter than the centers, dry out during cooking. The hotter you cook, the more gray dried out meat forms directly below the surface. This is less lovable. This is overcooked meat with less flavor, juice, and tenderness. By allowing the meat to rest, says the theory, these hot dry fibers can absorb some of the liquid from the center, so less liquid will spill out when you cut the meat.
This may be true because systems do seek equilibrium. But the goal of cooking properly is to have a good dark crust and minimize the dry brown area beneath it. So reabsorption might hold onto a little liquid, but it's not relevant with properly cooked meat with minimal overcooked meat below the surface.
Carryover. This is a real phenomenon. When meat is cooked heat builds up in the outer layers and is cooler in the center. If you take it off the heat the energy in the exterior is passed to the center and continues to raise its temp as the heat seeks equilibrium. Like spilled milk, heat tries to spread itself out evenly.
Resting advocates tell you to remove the meat before the center hits the desired temp and let it rise. Problem is, how much will it rise? That is a complicated physics problem that has to take into account the heat of the grill or oven or pan, the thickness of the meat, the ratio of surface to meat, amount of bone, etc. No rule of thumb in any cookbook or website can accurately predict at what temp the meat will stop cooking.
I want my expensive prime rib roasts medium rare bumper to bumper, with a nice crust. I want it about 130°F. Should I pull it at 120°F? 125°F? Will it be undercooked when I serve it? Overcooked? Will I have to make excuses?
There is one way to beat the carryover guessing game. Cook to the desired temp, remove the meat, and carve it promptly. I shoot for 130°F for beef and lamb, 140°F for pork, 160°F for chicken and turkey, I take them out of the cooker/smoker/oven pretty close to those numbers and immediately begin slicing. That stops carryover. That stops guesswork. And, as you will see below, no harm will be done.
Why resting is bad for steaks and chops
But resting has other impacts, many detrimental.
Cold steak! Another important thing happens during resting: The meat gets cold. There's a reason the plates are hot in steakhouses. We like our meat hot. It will cool off fast enough, why give it a running start?
Adam Perry Lang is a classically trained chef, a partner with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich in Carnevino in Las Vegas, a partner with Jamie Oliver in Barbecoa in London, and founder of Daisy May's BBQ in New York City. I asked him to weigh in on this. He points out that the juiciness sensation also depends a lot on the crust, especially its saltiness. "In the early crust stage (fresh off the grill), fat, collagen, and salt will cause a unique flood of saliva in your mouth. I refer to this type of crust stage as 'alive and snappy'. It is the type of crust that can cause you to eat clumps of fat and chewy sinew with joy that you would not normally eat. I am convinced it is another dimension, or the epitome of umami [savoriness]. It rarely comes the same way from a rested piece of meat. Finishing salt is also important for this juiciness sensation."
Soft surface! While resting, the crust gets soft and wet, especially on the side that is in contact with the plate or cutting board. Spice rubs get muddy.
Overcooked meat! Another thing happens when the meat is resting: Carryover. Depending on the thickness and the amount of energy stored in the outer layer, the center can rise 5 to 10°F or more. That can take your perfectly cooked prime rib roast to particle board before you know it. And the hotter the center, the less moisture.
Waxy fat! When a steak is hot, the fats are soft, sometimes even runny. They give the meat a rich unctuous mouthfeel and a lot of flavor. Let the meat cool and the fat starts to harden and get waxy.
Aesthetics?
So resting cools the meat, softens the crust, overcooks the center, muddies the spices and herbs, and reduces moisture of steaks and chops, and its impact on the perception of juiciness is probably nil.
Foil makes it worse
A loose tent of foil is often suggested during resting in books and websites. Not only does it not help, it hurts! It does prevent a little heat from escaping, but not much. Foil is a lousy insulator. If you take a dish from the oven that has cooked under foil, in less than a minute that foil is cool enough to handle. The problem with foil is it traps steam which softens crust and can turn crackly poultry skin to rubber in minutes. And never wrap meat tightly in foil. Juicesreally come gushing out then.
Let's get real: How do you eat?
Let's forget all the science now and just think about how we eat. Let's be conservative and say meat is about 60% water after drip loss, purge, and cooking. That means that, in a 12 ounce steak, seven ounces are liquid. That's almost a cup. So let's say we pull our nice big thick juicy medium rare steak off the grill and cut into it. Out come the juices. Maybe a teaspoon out of 12 ounces of steak that is seven ounces of water.
Do you let those juices sit on the plate and waste away? Heck no. You mop them up with the meat!
Look at the two plates at the top of the page. Ain't 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.)
Thick, dry-aged porterhouse is the specialty of the house at the most beloved beef emporium in the nation, Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn. It is cooked under a screaming hot gas broiler to medium rare, and then, to halt the carryover cooking, the two sections are sliced from the bone, and sliced again into hunks so several people can share it. It is served swimming in its juices. See those spoons in the picture? They are for saucing the meat on your plate with the juices in the platter. I sincerely doubt any steak has been sent back for being too dry.
Do you inhale the whole steak immediately? Heck no.
It takes a few minutes to get it off the heat and to the table. Then it takes at least 15 minutes to eat it. The fact is, by the time the steak comes off the heat til you get two or three bites in, have a bit of potato, a bit of the green beans, a sip of wine, a little conversation, the meat has had plenty of chance to rest, and not a drop of fluid is wasted because when you are done, your plate is clean. And the steak was hot and crisp when you cut into it.
What about roasts and large cuts?
Because a beef rib roast, pork loin, or turkey breast can be so much thicker than a steak, when you slice them there is much more surface area to leak juice. So the amount of juice exuded from a roast can be significant and look alarming.
Will more liquid flow without resting? Blonder says "no". By slicing right away I get to serve perfectly cooked hot meat. I collect the juices from the cutting board and I pour them over the meat on the serving platter. Most of the juices are are re-absorbed. Or I make a board sauce (especially on leg of lamb). This is a great way to use the juices and add some excitement. Trust me, I never serve improperly cooked or dry roasts.
I have even built a cutting board with a slot to collect juices. There's a similar one on Amazon.com, a real beauty, the John Boos Newton Prep Master Reversible 18" Square Cutting Board with Juice Groove and Pan
The best reason Blonder sees for resting a big roast like a prime rib is that it stiffens slightly and is easier to carve. But I want my meat limp and compliant. A sharp knife solves any cutting issues.
The bottom line
1) The difference between the amount of juice spilled with resting and without resting is insignificant especially when one considers that juiciness depends on many other factors such as water that remains bound with proteins, melted fat, collagen converted to gelatin, and even saliva.
2) Far more important than resting the meat is cooking it to the right temperature. Once you get beyond 140°F, the moisture from water in any meat drops precipitously. The ultimate folly is the diner who orders a medium steak (140°F) and insists that it rest for 20 minutes. The best way to make sure you cook it properly and use a quality digital thermometer. I cannot stress this enough. Follow the red link and buy one that I have tested and recommended.
3) Season your meat properly with adequate salt, then, when the meat hits the proper temp, dive in while it is hot and crisp! Sizzling crisp crust is a major pleasure factor, perhaps more important than the small amount of water spilled. Chef Dave Arnold, author of the blog Cooking Issues, The International Culinary Center's Tech 'N Stuff Blog, says "Extra juice makes meat taste watery and bland. Moisture isn't necessarily your friend; delicious is your friend."
4) Juices lost in the grocery case, after thawing, and during cooking are far greater than those spilled after cooking.
5) In tests like Kenji's, five minutes rest was all it needed to stanch most of the flow. In Blonder's tests, resting made no significant diff. If you still think resting matters, rest assured your meat will rest while you move it from cooker to the table, while you wait for everyone to be seated, while you taste all the other foods and drinks, and by the time you're into it more than a slice.
6) But most important, leave no juices behind! Blonder proved that meat will soak up almost all the juices spilled, rested or not. Pour the juices over the meat, and mop the rest up with the meat on your fork, with potatoes, rice, bread, or make a board sauce with it. Look at the picture at the top of the page. That should end the debate.
This myth is busted. Like the other myth that won't die, resting before swimming, when it comes to all this talk about resting meat, I say give it a rest, stop crying over spilled juice, and clean your plate like Momma told you. About that, she was right!
This page was revised 2/3/2013
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