You may have heard people talk about letting meat ‘rest’ at dinner parties or in restaurants. But when you’ve been waiting a while for your dinner and the nibbles just aren’t satisfying your cravings anymore, you might think the meat should come straight from the oven or grill and onto your plate.
“Why does meat need to rest?”, you might ask. The short answer to this question is that if you like your organic meat succulent and full of tasty juices, let it rest!
According to Meat and Livestock Australia’s website beefandlamb.com.au, the process of cooking meat at high temperatures causes the proteins within the meat to ‘set’. This results in the juices of the meat heading for the very centre – and the more you cook a piece of steak or roast, the more ‘set’ these proteins become.
If you were to cut or carve your piece of organic meat immediately after it leaves the oven, the meat may lose an excessive amount of juice and taste tough or chewy as a result.
This is why it’s important to let meat rest. Meat and Livestock Australia suggest that letting the meat sit for a few minutes allows juice to spread throughout the entire cut of meat again. This is what gives you that perfect tender and juicy texture!
In an article published by ABC Rural Australia, Queensland chef Beau Mackay also recommended resting meat to get a “nice tender steak”.
So now we know that resting meat is crucial to the perfect dish – how long are we meant to do it for?
Meat and Livestock Australia suggest resting times are relative to the size of the portion you’re serving. Roasts can need up to 20 minutes, whereas a steak or organic lamb chop would need between three and five minutes.
Set the meat aside somewhere cool, and cover loosely with tinfoil. After a few minutes, it should be ready to eat. Those three extra minutes are worth it for the perfect organic meat, aren’t they?
