Resting meat under foil

[bobmac]

A Times book review quotes Mario Batali as saying that only a moron would rest meat under aluminum foil. I have done this. Does the meat pick up a foily taste?

[FabulousFoodBabe]

A Times book review quotes Mario Batali as saying that only a moron would rest meat under aluminum foil. I have done this. Does the meat pick up a foily taste?

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bobmac, I don't know why you're a moron. However, if you rest meat under cover, as the meat rests and gives off heat, the heat stays inside the little tent and steams the meat.

[Tweety69bird]

A Times book review quotes Mario Batali as saying that only a moron would rest meat under aluminum foil. I have done this. Does the meat pick up a foily taste?

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From a fellow moron .... maybe it'd because of the condensation that forms under the foil???

I don't think the foil will impart any flavour into the meat or it wouldn't be used as much as it is already...

[adegiulio]

Mario Batali just seems like such a warm, friendly guy...

[srhcb]

A Times book review quotes Mario Batali as saying that only a moron would rest meat under aluminum foil. I have done this. Does the meat pick up a foily taste?

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The quote was probably out of context.

Anyway, Times readers already know aluminum foil is supposed to be used for hats to keep the government from reading your mind!

SB (doesn't mind having his mind read) (that's why he posts here)

[SMW]

Sometimes steaming meat is a *good* thing - I made BBQed pork ribs this weekend and, following a Cook's Illustrated tip, we took them off of hte grill and then wrapped them tightly in aluminum foil and then in a brown paper bag for an hour before we ate them.

The result was tender and juicy ribs that melted off the bone. Yum!

However, the impression I got from the Batali comment had to do with this steaming not being good for most cuts/treatments of meat, which makes sense to me.

[russ parsons]

i hate to disagree with st. mario, but i always rest roasts under a LOOSE tent of foil. the foil keeps the meat warm while it's resting (so the outside doesn't cool off before the inside gets to temp), but because it's loose the moisture can escape. but then again, maybe i'm a moron.

[tsquare]

i hate to disagree with st. mario, but i always rest roasts under a LOOSE tent of foil. the foil keeps the meat warm while it's resting (so the outside doesn't cool off before the inside gets to temp), but because it's loose the moisture can escape. but then again, maybe i'm a moron.

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Aren't we all?

At least we are in good company.

[MissAmy]

I always rest meat under tinted foil because of my cat who as a preternatural affection for roasted meats, and a remarkable ability to leap tall counters with a single bound. But I guess I'm really just a moron.

[*Deborah*]

I've heard of tenting foil...usually just silver-coloured though.

[Chris Amirault]

Aren't we talking about different meats? Letting a pork butt come to temperature over an hour is different than, say, wrapping a roasted chicken in foil and letting the skin lose its crisp.

[markk]

It's the steam/moisture that collects in the foil, not the foil itself.

Meats that are moist cooked, or long, slow cooked, for the purpose of breaking down collagens and tenderizing the meat will not be affected. But meats that are broiled or roasted only to a certain doneness like rare, medium-rare,etc. (steaks, chops, 'dry' beef roasts (i.e. not pot-roasts), will toughen in the presence of steam, and are best rested in a warm, dry oven.

[scubadoo97]

I never use to rest meat under foil but started doing so and had no problems except I grilled a steak and melted gorgonzola on top. The cheese was brown and crisp off the grill and after the rest it was loose and slid off the meat. In retrospect I should have anticipated this would happen.