Resting and Carving Meat
A piece of meat is a system of tight muscle fibers. When you sear or roast, you force those fibers to contract and push liquid into the middle of the cut. If you slice it immediately, that liquid escapes onto the board rather than staying inside the meat.
The carryover heat is your primary tool
Your meat will continue to rise in temperature once pulled from the heat source. Adjust your pull-temperature accordingly.
- Sharp carving knife or chef's knife
- Large cutting board with a groove
- Tongs or meat fork
- Aluminum foil
Finding the Direction
Look for the lines running through the surface of the meat. You must slice perpendicular to these lines to shorten the muscle strands for a clean bite.
The method.
Transfer to a cutting board
Use a board with a channel to catch juices. Do not place hot meat directly on a cold plate or a glass surface.
Tent loosely with foil
Cover the meat with a piece of foil, but do not seal it tight. If you seal it, the meat will steam, losing the crust you worked to develop.
Wait
Small steaks need five minutes. Large roasts require at least twenty. If the meat is large, it should sit until the surface heat radiates away into the room.
Identify the grain
Before your first slice, note which way the white fibers run. Position your knife at a ninety-degree angle to those lines.
Slice with a drawing motion
Do not saw. Place the knife, pull it toward you through the meat, and let the sharpness of the blade do the work.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Warm your carving board under hot water if the meat is a thin cut; it prevents the meat from losing heat too quickly.
Save the juices caught in the cutting board groove. Pour them over the sliced meat or whisk them into a pan sauce.
If you are carving a bird, remove the legs and wings first before addressing the breast meat.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if it has rested long enough?
Press the surface with your finger. If it feels firm and springy rather than hot and soft, the juices have settled.
Will the meat get cold while resting?
If you tent it with foil in a draft-free area, it will stay warm. The internal temperature is more important than the surface temperature.
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