Resting Meat

Resting is the most important step most home cooks skip. After cooking, the muscle fibers are contracted and the juices are driven toward the center by heat. Cutting immediately releases those juices onto the cutting board — not into your mouth. Resting allows the fibers to relax and the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Why Resting Matters for Pairing: A properly rested steak retains its juices. Those juices contain dissolved proteins, fats, and flavor compounds that are essential to the eating experience. When you lose them to the cutting board, you lose flavor that your wine, sauce, and sides were selected to complement.

A well-rested ribeye tastes different from one cut immediately — juicier, more flavorful, better textured. All your careful pairing work is undermined if the steak loses half its juice to impatience.

How Long to Rest: - Steaks (1-1.5 inches): 5-8 minutes - Thick steaks (1.5-2.5 inches): 8-12 minutes - Roasts (prime rib, whole tenderloin): 20-45 minutes - General rule: about 1 minute per ounce of weight

How to Rest: - Place on a warm plate or cutting board - Tent loosely with foil (optional — prevents cooling but can soften crust) - Rest in a warm spot, not a cold counter - Don't worry about the steak getting cold — the interior temp barely drops in 10 minutes

The Carryover Effect: Internal temperature continues rising during rest — 5-10°F for steaks, up to 15°F for large roasts. Account for this: pull your steak 5-10°F below your target temperature.

Using Rest Juices: Those juices that do accumulate? Don't throw them away. Add them to your pan sauce, drizzle over the sliced steak, or spoon over sides. They're liquid gold — concentrated meat flavor that enhances every element on the plate.

Resting takes patience, but it's the difference between a good steak and a great steak dinner.