Extreme resting (of meat, that is)

[Fat Guy]

Today a friend and I cooked a beef rib roast (bone-in, 4.5 pounds), and we underestimated the cooking time. When the internal temperature was still 66 F and we had half an hour until our late lunch was supposed to start, we agreed that we'd shift the roast to early dinner after his kid's soccer game. The math didn't quite work out, though, so when the internal temperature of the roast hit 120 F I pulled it and tented it. It sat that way for 2 hours.

I figured I'd put it back in the oven for 30-45 minutes before serving, but just before I put it in I took a temperature. At the dead center -- 2 hours after being pulled from the oven -- it was at 131 F. I figured it must at some point have been higher than that, and we wanted relatively rare, so I didn't want to pour a lot more heat into the system.

After 2.5 hours of resting, we cut the roast and served it. It was beautiful! The extreme rest had evened out the interior such that we had nice pink throughout. The meat was very juicy. And it was still warm. Not hot, but plenty warm to be appetizing.

I'm wondering, maybe I should make this part of standard procedure: forget 10, 20 or 30 minutes; I'll rest for 120.

Anybody else have experience with extreme resting of meat?

[IndyRob]

I'm thinking that the core temp at this point is less important than the outside temps. The evil things are attacking from the outside. At two hours, you're probably okay based on my reading, but it's bumping up against the line.

[runwestierun]

I have tried so hard to figure out how to grill a flank steak and not have all the juices run out when I cut it. I am sorry, I didn't take temperatures, but I grill a 2# flank steak over a medium hot fire for about 6.5 minutes and then I cover it with a double layer of foil and let it set for 40 minutes. That cuts the moisture loss by about 65%.

Flank steak is such a bleeder, but I love its flavor. Conventional wisdom will tell you to let it rest half the time you cook it, but even 20 minutes doesn't affect it much. It needs an extreme rest (extreme for this thickness) at my house to retain moisture.

[Jeffery C]

Most definitely larger roasts need longer rest times, especially ones with bones that act as insulators. Whenever I am doing any type of large roast, I always season the day/night before and cook it the morning of the day its to be served. The long rest insures proper finished "temp" and the seasoning ahead gives the salt time to penetrate deeper into the meat and help develop a crisper crust.

[Mano]

Smoking brisket and pork shoulder often involves extreme resting. Once the meat is close to the desired temperature it's wrapped in foil and then towels and placed in an insulted container to rest for long periods. The temperature increases slightly and is maintained. The juices return to the meat and the tougher fibers continue to break down making it more tender. At least that's how I do it.

[Norm Matthews]

I'm thinikng there is something wrong with your thermometer. You wanted it to top out at the temperature it did but by your own admission it wasn't that hot when you cut it. Therefore I am thinking the thermometer didn't go back down with the temperature of the meat.

[Cass]

Smoking brisket and pork shoulder often involves extreme resting. Once the meat is close to the desired temperature it's wrapped in foil and then towels and placed in an insulted container to rest for long periods. The temperature increases slightly and is maintained. The juices return to the meat and the tougher fibers continue to break down making it more tender. At least that's how I do it.

I also use this method.

Wrap in foil, a towel and into an empty cooler to party.

[Paul Bacino]

I think the mass and the bone work in your favor..

[JBailey]

Which is another reason to consider sous vide. Consistency. I did a similar sized rib roast last week and the interior came out perfect...pink edge to edge. Granted, I did it in the water bath for about 18 hours, so it was not something I could approach with a last minute decision. It was very tasty when it went from the bath to the table and was equally satisfying over the weekend as a sandwich.

For this latest rib roast, I trimmed off as much of the exterior fat as possible. I put the fat and some of the trimmings into a skillet, seasoned them and sautéd/browned them and then put the cooked fat and trimmings into the bag with the rib roast. This seemed to impart a nice flavor and when I took the meat out I discarded these bits.

[Dakki]

Dumb question maybe, but what's the highest temp you'd rest meat at without affecting doneness etc?

[Mano]

Dumb question maybe, but what's the highest temp you'd rest meat at without affecting doneness etc?

I rest the meat 7-10 degrees below final target. Even though it's removed from the heat source it'll continue to cook before hitting a plateau.