After grilling your steak, you’ll want to rest it. This will ensure that it remains juicy and tender, while also improving its taste and texture.

When a steak is cooked, its muscle fibers constrict, pushing juices and other moisture to the center of the meat. This moisture collects there, then leaks out when you slice it.

Why Do I Need to Rest My Steak?

The key to a perfect steak lies in how long it is allowed to rest after grilling. You want the meat to come up to the proper temperature, which will give it a juicier bite when you cut it.

When you cut a steak that has not rested, the juices from the cooking process will run everywhere. Instead of being evenly distributed throughout the meat, they will concentrate in the center. This causes the steak to be dry and flavorless when it is sliced.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem: let your steak rest after grilling.

According to Kenji Lopez-Alt, food scientist and chef at The Food Lab for Serious Eats, letting a piece of steak rest reduces the amount of moisture that escapes. In fact, he found that a 13.5-ounce steak lost just 4 grams of liquid when it was left to rest for 10 minutes.

The same applies to large cuts of meat, such as a 14-pound packer brisket. However, it is important to note that these large cuts of meat are much larger than a 13.5-ounce steak and therefore lose much more liquid during cooking than a steak.

How Long Should I Rest My Steak?

Resting your steak after grilling is an important step in ensuring that it’s juicy and tender. Without proper resting, your meat could become dry and tough, which will affect both its flavor and texture.

The length of time your steak should rest will vary based on the thickness, level of doneness, and seasonings that were applied. While there is no set rule of thumb, many chefs recommend letting steaks rest for around 10 minutes after grilling.

Another helpful tip is to wrap it in foil so that it can retain maximum moisture while resting. It will also help keep it warm until you’re ready to eat it.

The main reason you need to rest your steak is that the juices that are released during cooking will remain concentrated in the center of the meat, rather than spreading throughout. If you cut into a steak that hasn’t rested, all of these delicious juices will run out and pool on your plate. By giving your steak time to rest, these juices will redistribute and make your steak juicier and more flavorful!

Should I Cover My Steak?

After grilling steaks, the best thing you can do is let them rest for five to seven minutes before serving. This resting time helps the meat’s internal temperature rise and allows it to keep its juiciness.

You can also wrap it in foil, which is a good option if you’re serving it immediately. This will keep the meat warm while you finish your meal, but make sure not to wrap it too tightly or the meat could overcook and lose its juices.

Whether you should cover your steak depends on how thick it is and how you like it cooked. For thin cuts of steak, it’s usually better to leave the grill open so that the meat is less likely to overcook and develop burnt flavor.

For thicker steaks, closing the grill lid can help ensure an even cook and prevent the meat from becoming too cooked on one side while raw in the middle. You can also use a meat thermometer to verify that your steak is done and ready for consumption.

How Can Letting My Steak Rest Improve Its Taste and Texture?

If you’ve ever grilled steak, you know how much the cooking process can affect the taste and texture of your meat. Taking time to rest your steak after grilling can help ensure that it’s delicious, tender and juicy.

Steaks become dry and tough when they’re cooked without allowing enough resting time, so letting them sit for a while before serving can make a huge difference in their taste and texture. The main reason that letting meat rest before cutting it is so important is because it gives the juices time to redistribute and reabsorb.

When you cut into a hot steak immediately after cooking it, all of the juices will pour out and leave you with a dry and flavorless piece of meat. This can be a big turnoff, but it’s also an easy way to waste a good steak!