Why do you rest a roast?

[Bushman]

I just watched a cooking show and like mom always said to do, they rested the roast. Why are you supposed to do you do that? Usually when I cook a roast and the meat thermometer says that it is done, the extended family is circling the meat platter like a flock of buzzards. I guess that I could beat them off for another ten minutes or so, but wouldn't that just let the meat get cooled down more?

[Herne]

Bushman, I'd leave that sort of difficult question to my wife. They do it so much better than men - and without thermometers.

[Dennis Keith]

You "rest" the roast so you will have time to make the GRAVY, and finish the Potatoes in the mixmaster! Seriously the rested roast retains its juices better and therefore if it isn't completely consumed at the first meal (not likely if the kid is home) the left-overs / planned aheads (at my house) will still be juicy next time around.

[Herne]

Talking of gravy - how many make gravy properly. Plain gravy browning for colour (caramelised something), water from the green veg, and then stir in whatever in the bottom of the roasting tin - while the roast is resting on the serving dish I suppose.

Er indoors does it like that, with no added stuff from the supermarket, and it is pretty good gravy. Well it tastes of something, rather than universal Bisto for all. So lamb gravy goes with lamb, and beef with beef. Pork gets apple sauce, and salt on the skin for the crackling. And it do crackle like gunfire!

I suppose, when all is said and done, she's a pretty good slop jockey.

[SeniorCoot]

Seems to me that i learned that resting allows the juices to set up a bit and not run out at the first cut-- hence all the meat is juicier.

[DancesWithKnives]

I worked in the kitchen of an old colonial restaurant in New England when I was in school. The chef and cooks said the same thing as above.

Once or twice when I've been impatient, I've cut a piece of meat right after taking it out of the oven (or right after taking a tri-tip off the BBQ). There was definitely a noticeably larger gush of juice when I cut it. Everyone was hungry enough that they didn't remark on whether the meat was less juicy than when it had been allowed to sit for a few minutes, but I believe that was the case.

DWK

[nodakker]

That's also why one isn't supposed to go poking holes or slicing pieces from a good steak you are grilling to check for doneness. You sear the steak to keep the juices in, so don't cut through the sear and drain the juices out.

[DancesWithKnives]

True, the experts recommend that you use tongs rather than a fork for turning. And they suggest using a pressure test to determine whether the meat is done---rather than cutting. Good observation.

DWK

[Bushman]

I know about a meat thermometer, but what is a pressure test?

[DancesWithKnives]

I'll have to look it up to get the exact description but I can tell you the general method. Chefs say that if the cooking meat yields to touch as much as the flesh between your thumb and forefinger, it's quite rare (that's an example---I don't recall the exact description). If it yields as much as the middle of your palm, it's done to a greater degree (medium?), etc. In other words, you compare the resistance/feel of the meat (when pressed) to certain somewhat standard areas of your hands/forearms (when pressed) and can thereby estimate how well done the meat has become.

I'll try to find the actual correlation table.

DWK