Prep & Assembly
Rest
Let cooked meat sit so juices redistribute before slicing
Resting lets cooked meat sit off the heat before slicing, so the juices that rushed to the center relax back through the cut instead of spilling onto the board. It also lets carryover heat finish the cook. Tent it loosely with foil and give it time proportional to the size.
Resting lets cooked meat sit off the heat before slicing, so the juices relax back through the cut instead of spilling onto the board. It also lets carryover heat finish the cook. Tent loosely with foil and give it time proportional to the size.
- Difficulty
- Easy
How to do it
- 1
Pull the meat just shy of target temperature.
- 2
Move it to a board or warm plate.
- 3
Tent loosely with foil — don't seal it tight.
- 4
Wait, then slice once the juices have settled.
How long to rest
Roughly 5 minutes for a steak, 10–20 for a roast, longer for a big bird. Tight foil traps steam and softens any crust, so tent loosely.
- Steak: ~5 min
- Roast: 10–20 min
- Large bird: 20–30 min
Common uses
Tips & pitfalls
- Account for carryover — pull 5°F early; it climbs while resting.
- Rest bread too, so the crumb sets before you cut it.
- Catch and add the resting juices back to the sauce.
Good to know
- Tool
- Board, loose foil tent
- Best for
- Roasts, steaks, poultry, baked goods
- Cue
- Juices redistribute; carryover heat settles
Also called
rest meat · let rest
