Resting meat means literally giving the meat a rest – letting the meat sit out of the oven and off the stove before you cut it.

Why is it so important to rest meat?

Resting meat makes a huge difference in the quality of the finished dish.  If you pull your gorgeous New Zealand lamb rack out of the oven and slice it immediately, all the lamb’s juices will run out onto your cutting board, leaving the meat dry, tough and with significantly less flavor.  Such a shame.  This is because as meat cooks, all its moisture is drawn up to the surface, where it will run out if the meat is cut.  By letting the meat rest, you give all those delicious juices a chance to redistribute themselves throughout the meat.

How do you rest meat?

After the meat is finished cooking, simply transfer it to a clean plate and cover it with foil.  Let it sit for 5-15 minutes (depending on the size of the meat cut…most steaks only need to rest for 5 minutes, while larger cuts and roasts will need 15).  The residual heat in the meat will continue to cook it slowly during the rest, so pull it from the stove or oven about 5-10 degrees away from your ideal internal temperature and allow it to coast the rest of the way while resting.