Resting Steaks: Pan Or Oven?

Whether you're pan-searing or oven-roasting a steak, it's important to let it rest after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and juicy cut of meat. The general rule of thumb is to let your steak rest for at least five minutes, but thicker cuts may need up to 10-20 minutes. During this time, the internal temperature of the steak will continue to rise, so it's important to take the steak off the heat a few minutes before it reaches the desired temperature to avoid overcooking.

Resting steak lets juices redistribute, preventing dryness

Resting a steak after pan-searing or oven-cooking is essential to ensure a juicy and flavourful cut of meat. Allowing the steak to rest lets the juices redistribute, preventing dryness.

When a steak is cooked, the muscle fibres and proteins constrict, pushing the juices towards the centre of the meat. If the steak is sliced immediately after cooking, the moisture in the centre will pour out, creating a dry and unappetising cut.

By letting the steak rest, the muscle fibres relax, and the pressure on the juices is slowly released. This allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat, resulting in a moist and flavourful steak.

The time required for resting a steak depends on its size and thickness. As a general rule, thicker cuts of meat should rest for longer. For thinner cuts of meat, a minimum of 5-7 minutes is recommended, while thicker cuts should rest for 10-20 minutes. Another guideline is to rest the meat for half the time it took to cook.

To rest a steak properly, remove it from the heat source and transfer it to a warm area, such as a warm plate, serving platter, or cutting board. For larger cuts of meat, it is recommended to cover them with aluminium foil to retain heat. After the appropriate resting time, remove the foil and slice the steak.

Resting a steak not only ensures a juicy and flavourful cut but also allows the steak to continue cooking slightly, bringing it to the desired doneness. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the resting time when cooking a steak to achieve the perfect internal temperature.

Resting time depends on steak thickness

Resting a steak after cooking is an essential step in the cooking process. It ensures that the steak is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. The resting period allows the steak's muscle fibers to relax, preventing the juices from being expelled when cut.

The resting time depends on the thickness of the steak. As a general rule, thinner cuts of meat should be rested for a minimum of 5-7 minutes, while thicker cuts should be rested for 10-20 minutes. Another rule of thumb is to rest the steak for 5 minutes per inch of thickness. For example, a 1-inch thick steak should be rested for about 5 minutes, while a 2-inch thick steak should be rested for about 10 minutes.

Additionally, it is recommended to rest the steak for the same amount of time it took to cook. For instance, if a steak took 10 minutes to cook, it should be rested for 10 minutes as well. This ensures that the steak reaches the desired internal temperature and allows the juices to redistribute evenly.

It is important to note that the steak will continue to cook slightly during the resting period, so it is advisable to remove it from the heat source a few degrees before it reaches the desired internal temperature. This is known as carryover cooking, where the outer layers of the steak cool while the center continues to heat up.

By following these guidelines and allowing the steak to rest for an appropriate amount of time based on its thickness, you will achieve a juicy and flavorful steak.

Resting reduces overcooking

Allowing your steak to rest after searing is an essential step in the cooking process. Resting your steak helps to prevent overcooking, which can result in a dry and flavorless cut of meat.

Internal Juices

When a steak is heated, the muscle fibres constrict, pushing the juices in those fibres away from the heat source and towards the centre of the meat. As a result, if you cut into the steak immediately after cooking, all the moisture will pour out, making the steak appear dry and flavourless.

Carryover Cooking

Carryover cooking refers to the phenomenon where food continues to cook even after it has been removed from the heat source. During the resting period, the outer layers of the steak cool while the temperature in the centre continues to rise. The steak achieves its final resting temperature when the outer and inner temperatures meet.

Resting Time

The resting time for a steak depends on its thickness. As a general rule, thinner cuts of meat should rest for a minimum of 5-7 minutes, while thicker cuts should rest for 10-20 minutes. You can also use the following guidelines:

• Rest meat for 5 minutes per inch of thickness.
• Rest meat for 10 minutes per pound.
• Rest meat for 1 minute for every 100 grams.
• Rest thin meat for half the time it took to cook.
• Rest thick meat for the whole time it took to cook.

Tenting

To keep your steak warm during the resting period, you can tent it with aluminium foil. This will help to trap the heat.

Resting is not needed for reverse-seared steak

Reverse-searing is a technique where you start with low heat, cook the steak slowly, and then finish it off with a hot sear. This method is perfect for cooking a steak that is medium-rare from edge to edge, with a crisp crust.

The reverse-searing technique was developed to mimic the effects of sous vide cooking, which uses gentle heat to eliminate the grey band of overcooked meat around the outer edges of a steak. However, the reverse-searing method produces an even better crust than sous vide.

No Resting Required

The low-heat method used in the first stage of reverse-searing means there is no need for a resting period before serving. The steak is only ""flash seared" on the outside, so it doesn't need to rest.

Advantages of Reverse-Searing

Reverse-searing delivers a juicy, tender interior and a rich, golden-brown, crisp exterior. It is a great way to cook thicker cuts of steak. The low-temperature oven ensures a perfectly cooked interior, and the quick sear adds a beautiful crust.

Disadvantages of Reverse-Searing

Reverse-searing takes more time than simply throwing a steak into a hot pan. It also produces almost no fond, the browned bits that form the base for pan sauces. However, this is not really a disadvantage, as all those tasty bits are stuck firmly in your meat already. You may find that a reverse-seared steak doesn't need a sauce at all.

Resting lets steak relax and tenderise

Resting a steak after pan-searing or oven-cooking is essential to ensure the meat is juicy and tender. This is because the internal juices of the steak constrict during the cooking process, pushing the juices towards the center of the meat. Resting the steak allows the muscle fibers to relax and the juices to reabsorb and redistribute, resulting in an evenly moist and flavorful steak.

The resting time depends on the thickness of the steak. As a general rule, thinner cuts of meat should rest for a minimum of 5-7 minutes, while thicker cuts should rest for 10-20 minutes. It is recommended to rest meat for 5 minutes per inch of thickness, 10 minutes per pound, or 1 minute for every 100 grams. For thin meat, it should rest for half the time it took to cook, while thick meat should rest for the whole cooking time.

During the resting period, the outer layers of the steak cool down while the temperature in the center continues to rise until the outer and inner temperatures meet. This is called carryover cooking. Small cuts of meat, such as steaks, are less prone to carryover cooking compared to larger roasts.

To rest a steak properly, remove it from the oven or burner and transfer it to a cutting board, warm plate, or serving platter. Tent the pan with aluminum foil to trap heat and remove the foil after the appropriate resting time.

Frequently asked questions