Resting meat

I'd love to have everyone's opinion on this.
Everytime I read an article about searing or grilling steaks, it says to rest them for 10 minutes so the juices reabsorb, yada yada.
When I do this, even lightly tented with foil, the steaks are no longer very hot when I serve them.
Len likes his steaks HOT. Period. And, when I think about it, high-end chop houses always serve their steaks piping hot, some even on a sizzling platter.
Also, when I think about the reason that we rest the steak (so the juice doesn't run out), I feel like, well, okay, it's on my plate so it's okay if the juice runs out because I will dredge each piece of meat through the juice before I put it in my mouth.
What are your thoughts here?

Obviously, I feel differently about roasts, since they take much longer to cool off. Non-issue.

Lately, I let steaks rest. However, I'm not persuaded that it's more important than Len's preference for hot food.

I don't let steaks rest, but I do let roasts rest.

[Jenise]

We always rest our steaks: I prefer the juice--and the color!!!--to stay in the meat, evenly saturated. That I nearly always serve a first course salad provides the natural gap on timing: steaks go into the warming drawer, we sit down for our salad. And yes, high end steak houses usually serve steaks on a sizzling platter, but they're also serving extensively dry-aged beef that has lost the majority of moisture we're trying to deal with--or not--in the beef we get from conventional sources.

But I agree with Jeff: if Len prefers it blazing hot, Len should have it blazing hot.

I usually let steaks rest in a foil tent, but because I don't like lukewarm steak, I usually keep the rest time to ~ 5 minutes. I recently found a source of reasonably priced dry aged ribeyes and I have let them rest, but as Jenise points out that may be redundant.
Roasts always get a rest period.

What if you cook to almost done THEN do the sear which I think is the best way to cook a steak, no thanks to conventional wisdom. May need less of a rest time and with the high heat at the end might maintain a higher temp.

We always rest our steaks....steaks go into the warming drawer....

I thinks Jenise's warming drawer is the key to resting without cooling. We use ours in the same fashion.

We always rest our steaks....steaks go into the warming drawer....

I thinks Jenise's warming drawer is the key to resting without cooling. We use ours in the same fashion.

I had thought of that, but it seemed to me that would keep them cooking a little more and wouldn't actually "count" as resting. Jenise, does it cook the steaks further? Do you take them off a little shy of how you want them done?

When the steaks come off the grill, Gene tents with foil. They only rest for 3 to 4 minutes which gives me time to finish last second stuff. They are always juicy and hot.

[Jenise]

We always rest our steaks....steaks go into the warming drawer....

I thinks Jenise's warming drawer is the key to resting without cooling. We use ours in the same fashion.

I had thought of that, but it seemed to me that would keep them cooking a little more and wouldn't actually "count" as resting. Jenise, does it cook the steaks further? Do you take them off a little shy of how you want them done?

No, the drawer's on a low setting and the steak is elevated on a rack--I don't want it sitting on a hot surface, just resting in a warm environment. I don't think my method will keep it as hot as Len probably wants it.

i guess i'm of two minds on this subject. the 'juices' people talk about are almost entirely bloody water. the only important 'juice' is the fat and that just doesn't come out except under fairly high heat - not usually on the plate. resting may allow the meat to finish cooking; but i really doubt any other magic is happening.

[Jenise]

i guess i'm of two minds on this subject. the 'juices' people talk about are almost entirely bloody water. the only important 'juice' is the fat and that just doesn't come out except under fairly high heat - not usually on the plate. resting may allow the meat to finish cooking; but i really doubt any other magic is happening.

You don't find that in resting, the meat reabsorbs those juices where if it's cut into unrested, it drains out on the plate?

America's Test Kitchen recently addressed this issue and they changed their tune about steaks-5 minutes to rest.

[Jenise]

America's Test Kitchen recently addressed this issue and they changed their tune about steaks-5 minutes to rest.

To what degree? An episode I watched a few weeks ago I'm sure reccomended five minutes--that is, I recall mentally disagreeing, because I think ten is better.

Jen. I believe they changed it for steaks only. I feel 10 minutes does allow the steak to cool too much.

I hate letting my meat loaf. I stand over it counting 'a thousand and one, a thousand and two...' and I never manage to wait 5 minutes.

It is a combination of not wanting to have cool meat and not wanting it to continue to cook - anxiety that it was probably perfect rare when I took it off but will become medium rare or worse if I leave it sitting there any longer.

Ah, the angst of the carnivore.....

For the same reason we have modified our Friday night steak procedure. While I still BBQ the meat (it is well known that only men can BBQ, right?) I no longer take the two pieces off when mine is perfectly done, I leave hers on so that she can remove it when it is about medium and to her liking. I feel that the frequent charcoaling of her meat from negligence and lack of attention is not within my purview as my responsibility ends when I pass the tongs to the next 'runner'. Unaccountably, there are occasions when even though I have clearly passed the tongs, it is somehow seen as my fault when someone else (SWMBO) manages to create charcoal 10 minutes later. It does pass all logical explanation.

[Jenise]

I hate letting my meat loaf. I stand over it counting 'a thousand and one, a thousand and two...' and I never manage to wait 5 minutes.

It is a combination of not wanting to have cool meat and not wanting it to continue to cook - anxiety that it was probably perfect rare when I took it off but will become medium rare or worse if I leave it sitting there any longer.

Ah, the angst of the carnivore.....

For the same reason we have modified our Friday night steak procedure. While I still BBQ the meat (it is well known that only men can BBQ, right?) I no longer take the two pieces off when mine is perfectly done, I leave hers on so that she can remove it when it is about medium and to her liking. I feel that the frequent charcoaling of her meat from negligence and lack of attention is not within my purview as my responsibility ends when I pass the tongs to the next 'runner'. Unaccountably, there are occasions when even though I have clearly passed the tongs, it is somehow seen as my fault when someone else (SWMBO) manages to create charcoal 10 minutes later. It does pass all logical explanation.

Patience is not your virtue where food is concerned. Now, remember back to that pefectly cooked prime rib cap? Care to guess how long that rested?

As to your Friday night steak procedure, we've already discussed where Bob would find my steak if he did that to me. Fortunately, we agree on doneness, but when guests want more doneness we just start some meat a few minutes earlier and pull it all at the same time. We tend to like to eat together.

As for coolness, who said it has to cool down? There are things you can do to prevent it going cold.

We don't have a warming drawer, and tenting with foil seems to promote continued cooking.

I know that your method works, and works well, from first hand experience though!

[Jenise]

We don't have a warming drawer, and tenting with foil seems to promote continued cooking.

I know that your method works, and works well, from first hand experience though!

I'll ask the question again: how long do you think that meat rested?

We always rest our steaks: I prefer the juice--and the color!!!--to stay in the meat, evenly saturated. That I nearly always serve a first course salad provides the natural gap on timing: steaks go into the warming drawer, we sit down for our salad. And yes, high end steak houses usually serve steaks on a sizzling platter, but they're also serving extensively dry-aged beef that has lost the majority of moisture we're trying to deal with--or not--in the beef we get from conventional sources.

But I agree with Jeff: if Len prefers it blazing hot, Len should have it blazing hot.

Jenise, we don't get any juice in a rare steak whether we let it rest or not, so if the steak is rare is the question moot?

Just made filets last night for three of us. All were cooked on the grill to medium-rare. Rested them (uncovered) only for the amount of time it took everyone to refill their beverages, and for me to toss and plate the salad (3-4 minutes). A good bit of juice had accumulated on the platter (no cutting was involved). They were perfect when they got to our individual plates. Didn't "bleed out" and the meat was juicy and tender (as a filet could be). The steaks were about 3 1/2 inches thick.

[Jenise]

We don't have a warming drawer, and tenting with foil seems to promote continued cooking.

I know that your method works, and works well, from first hand experience though!

Okay, so you won't play. That was a two-pound long, cynlinder of meat, roughly 3" x 3". It rested for 45 minutes.

Do you remember how incredible vibrant the color was? If I had cut it immediately out of the oven, that color would not have been nearly as bright. The meat was incredibly moist and tender but there wasn't a drop of juice in sight. It had completely reabsorbed into the meat.

[Jenise]

Jenise, we don't get any juice in a rare steak whether we let it rest or not, so if the steak is rare is the question moot?

No, not at all. All we're really talking about it rare steak. It's well done when the question's moot.