Sometimes people ask me what the “real” point is of tempering meats and letting them rest. Well, there are several benefits. Let’s take it one at a time.
What is tempering?
To let something temper is to let it slowly warm up or cool down.
Why temper meat?
In fact, it is not necessary to let all meats come to room temperature. It is especially important for cuts of beef and cuts that are grilled, mainly steaks. In the case of other meats, cuts that cook long and slowly, the internal temperature adjusts over time and does not remain cold.
Why steaks? Because we're going to cook them at full power from the start. If we don't take the time to let them come to room temperature, their center will stay cold and, usually, we eat our steak rare or pink.
A steak that has been left at room temperature before being seared will react better and its fat will sear faster, which will develop more flavors and make it "tender."
Risks to be aware of
If the meat has not been brought to room temperature before being seared, it may be colder in the center and less tender. This is the case because, for example, by putting meat directly on the BBQ grill after taking it out of the refrigerator, it may undergo thermal shock and contract, which will give it a stiffer texture in the mouth.
Another thing that can happen is that the meat can be overcooked. When you take its internal temperature right in the center with a thermometer, you will probably let it cook longer to reach the right temperature. Since the center is "shocked" and takes longer to cook, the outside of your piece of meat will become dry. And a dry steak is definitely not the "best"...
Otherwise, you may also notice color variations inside your meat. Normally, when a meat is tempered and then seared, there is a small millimeter (or a little more) of brown all around the meat and the center is red or pink when it is cut. If the meat has not been tempered properly, it may look brown, then gray, then pink, then red… basically, it may have “layers” of different colors when you slice it. So you have to be careful, because the cooking will not be the same everywhere and it will not be pleasant in the mouth.
How to Safely Temper Meat
It is always better to let meat come to room temperature inside than outside, in a place where it is around 20 °C. The meat can be in its packaging or not, it makes no difference. Personally, I unwrap my meat, place it on a plate, then cover it with a bowl so that dust or other things do not come into contact with it.
If your meat is vacuum packed, on the other hand, I advise you to open the package, because otherwise, there is a smell that develops in the packaging. By airing the meat, the smell will disappear.
As for how long it takes to let it sit, it will depend on the thickness of the piece of meat. If your steak is about 3/4 inch thick, 20-30 minutes should be enough, and if it is 2 inches or more thick, I would say let it sit for 1-2 hours.
Obviously, if the meat is frozen to begin with, I recommend thawing it (still in its vacuum-sealed packaging) in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes, then if it is frozen, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator before working with it. Warning! It is important to know that when thawing food, you should never thaw it at room temperature. Thawing it in cold water or in the refrigerator (or even in the microwave) is the right way to do it.
Once the meat has been brought to room temperature and then cooked on the BBQ, the next thing to think about is the resting period for the meat.
The effect of rest
When meat cooks, it is "stressed", it curls up and shrinks, so letting it rest allows it to relax.
In fact, when meat cooks, the juices in the meat "gather" in small amounts, and letting it rest ensures that they dilute well throughout the entire meat.
If you slice your meat right away, these juices don't have time to be soaked up by the meat and flow onto your plate instead.
The disadvantages of too short a rest time
As you might expect, if all the liquid inside the meat leaks out, the meat risks losing a lot of its juiciness, flavor and tenderness.
The necessary rest time
Generally, I would say that meats should be rested for about 10-20% of the cooking time. The longer the rest, the better the meat will be. For a steak, 5-10 minutes of rest is usually perfect, depending on its thickness. For a brisket, I would say to rest for at least 1-2 hours, ideally in a cooler, oven, or an isolated area.
And there you have it, I hope I taught you something. :)
Happy BBQ!