Let It Rest.....

Happy Summer! Tis the season for the outdoor bbq. Steaks, Chicken, Pig Roasts and much much more. I was speaking with a customer recently who was telling me about a weekend bbq that upset her. She painstakingly prepared an amazing meal and was shattered when her beef and chicken ended up dry. We went through her evening step by step and the culprit presented itself at the very end. "We got the steak and chicken right of the grill and onto the carving board and sliced it right up". I knew right there the evening was done. "How long did you let the meats rest?" I was met with an incredulous stare - "We wanted to serve it right away". I smiled and said "ah!" When protein like steak cooks, it gets all juicy and starts to bubble out. When you take it off the grill or out of the oven, it continutes to cook. Which means all that yummy juice is still right at the top. If you cut right into it out of the oven, all that juice is going to run out all over your plate and leave your meat dry. (And really, who wants dry meat ;-)) Tent your steak or chicken and let it rest for ten minutes once you take it out of the oven. This allows for the carry over cooking to finish it's job and allow for the juices to settle and keep your meat juicy. Now get out there and grill!!!!!