Resting versus carryover cooking

[dennisl]

I am still a little confused about the difference between "resting" and "carryover cooking". After reading your article recommending NOT to rest meat and eat it while it is still hot I am unsure when carryover cooking stops and resting begins. Unless you continue to monitor the internal temp AFTER removing meat from the smoker, how do you determine when the meat is ready to eat? For instance, yesterday I smoked a pork loin. It was suggested to remove the loin from the smoker at 140-145 degrees and let it continue to cook OUTSIDE the smoker. I waited about 45 minutes to unwrap and slice it up. But I was just guessing about the timing on this. Please clarify, and thanks for this great website.

[Jerod Broussard]

Dennis, I can't really add much more than what Doc Blonder has below. It really depends on the thickness of the meat, how hot you FINISH cooking it, and the discrepancy in temp b/n the internal temp and the surface temp when you remove from the heat.

The only constant is the thermal diffusivity of meat, or lack thereof.

http://www.genuineideas.com/Articles...carryover.html

[Jerod Broussard]

Meathead's article for anyone interested, great read also.

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/carryover_cooking.html

[Breadhead]

Hmmm... I'll dive in here a little with what I've learned and experienced over the years. Not sure that I'm scientifically correct though.

If you're cooking low and slow, cooking a big clod of meat at a fairly low temperature. Most of us agree that those big clods of meat need to be wrapped in foil and left to sit in a cambro for a couple of hours or more. Because of the low temperature cooking once they are exposed to the ambient temperature and then wrapped in foil and placed in the cooler there will be very little to NO carryover cooking.

On the other hand when searing steaks or other small cuts of meat at really high temperatures like 600/700° once you've browned it and created a dark mahogany crust, with intense heat, your steak will continue cooking for a few minutes after you pull it off of the direct heat, about 3° to as much as 5°.

Just my opinion...😎

[RonB]

Guest - I agree, and you said it very well...

[Meathead]

Let's differentiate between HOLDING a big clod of meat like a brisket low and slow cooked all the way up to 200F. It is important. This is very different than RESTING a steak or chop or chicken cooked to a much lower temp like 130-160F. It is not a good idea for them. Carryover is only a part of the issue. I discuss the concepts here:

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_resting_meat.html

[Huskee]

Carryover cooking isn't something we really plan to utilize in most cases, it's just what inadvertently happens as a result of that hot blanket of exterior meat. The heat keeps traveling inward, raising our IT from a perfect juicy 145 in our pork loin to 153 and less juicy. View it as distance gained from a semi truck coasting once you take your foot off the pedal. If you coast past your truck stop, you're in trouble.

Holding, as discussed already by the pros above me, is an intentional hold with the meat wrapped, cozy & warm to hold onto that heat intentionally and further 'melt' and soften tough collagens & fats. This is when the meat is already way above 'well done'.

Resting is an old wives' tale that some 'pros' in the BBQ world still hold onto as having relevance today, and preach it in their recipes and on their sites. We teach to not rest them and risk eating lukewarm steak. Thinking logically, the second half of your steak will 'rest' by the time you eat the first half. Might as well eat the first half of your steak hot!

[Breadhead]

I do factor in 2° of carry over cooking on my steaks. If I want to serve a steak at 135°, I pull it at 133°.

[Huskee]

Great plan of action Breadhead. I guess I subconsciously do too, although not specific temps. I pull 'em off a tad early and call it good.

[FLBuckeye]

I meant to bring this topic up as well. Kenji Alt-Lopez's book "The Food Lab" advocates resting meat. I find his stuff pretty spot on but when I read that, I reread the article here.

I am pretty confused but I always default to AR

[Rfuilrez]

Yeah I got The Food Lab after I got Meathead's book and had the same reaction when I read that part.

[martybartram]

I notice a lot of pros that say they are resting their meat are actually holding it. Of course I have heard plenty say things like resting the steak for ten minutes makes it juicier.