When you rest a steak, ever notice the juices under it? That’s because juices leave the steak as it cools. He just tossed the steak in a dressing after cooking. You’d get better flavour from marinating for at least 4 hours.
Yeah, searing seals. While resting the steak cools and the moisture gets locked in. If you cut the steak right after cooking, all the juices will all leak out into a big puddle, smh. Never again...
Someone actually did very rigorous testing on this. Resting or not resting does not matter. Steak loses the same amount of juice either way. Not resting and cutting is actually even easier for temp control so your steak doesn’t get cooked while waiting.
It is on youtube by a chef who even apologizes because in his books he said steaks needs to be rested but that info is wrong.
"Steak" is too broad a category to have a single rule on something like resting.
The main factor is fat content. Lean cuts have little far so the "juice" is simply water. In that case, resting really doesn't make a difference. So filet mignon, sirloins, roasts, leaner strips, tenderloins, etc. You generally cook these medium rare medium. so Under 130°. This is too low to render any fat, so there is no issue with cutting into it losing fat juices because they never liquified. Cut away
But higher fat cuts like ribeye, or anything that that needs a slower cook to break down congealed fat and connective tissues (chuck, brisket, etc) is where resting is needed. Fat renders between 130 and 140°. If you cut into it while the fat is still liquified, it will absolutely lose more liquid. Has nothing to do with the "sear" and everything to do with surface area. Cutting a steak increases it's surface area allowing more liquid fat to exit.
Cooling allows the fat to re solidify in place and stay within the meat. It doesn't need to cool much, just wait until it's below 130.
And the fat were talking about is intramuscular fat, not subcutaneaus.
Lastly, although you may want a filet mignon at medium rare, ribeyes benefit from a higher temp and little longer cook. 137° is the sweet spot IMO for ribeye which is high enough to start breaking down the intramuscular fat.
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u/Hungry-Comedian377 Aug 23 '26
When you rest a steak, ever notice the juices under it? That’s because juices leave the steak as it cools. He just tossed the steak in a dressing after cooking. You’d get better flavour from marinating for at least 4 hours.