Resting Help!!!!!

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psouthwick

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 29, 2011
13
10
Admitted Novice on the smoker..... What I learned is not to rush the process.  Cherry Wood has turned out to be just awesome on pork but. I have heard several therory's on resting it. Whats the best way to rest this thing once I get it to 200. Mainly do I wrap it in foil?  How long?
 
i usually take mine to 200 or 205..it should already be double wrapped in foil..ill wrap an old towel around it and place in a portable chest cooler for an hour up to 4 hours depending on what time i need to serve..but at least an hour.
 
Do you really notice a difference in the meat on resting it??

The only resting i have ever done with meat was waiting for the gang to get their A%^ to the table.

I hate dinner to get cold.

drool.gif


Impatient Karl
 
If you are smoking it the whole way unfoiled & like the bark, foiling it & resting in a cooler will make the bark soft.

It only needs to rest 1/2 to 3/4 hours and you can just let it sit on the counter for that.

If on the other hand you are foiling at 165 & taking it to 200 in foil, then resting it a cooler for a couple of hours is fine.
 
I found this bit of info on www.vitrualweberbullet.com/meatrest.html

I just put in google meat resting and came up with all kind of info. This from Weber does seem to go hand in hand with most of the other well established chefs etc.

I always look for collaboration. It definitely explains why the juices run and or stay better in the meat and even i can understand it.

th_4th_of_July.gif


Happy smoken.
 
Last edited:
ExhaustedSpark's link didn't open for me.  Here is an excerpt from the article on virtualweberbullet.com:

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]The Mechanics Of Letting Meat Rest[/font]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]In [/font][font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]the book CookWise, author Shirley O. Corriher reveals a bit more detail: as meat proteins cook, they begin to shrink. Up to 120°F, the proteins shrink in diameter only and there is little moisture loss, but above 120°F the proteins also begin to shrink in length, which really puts the squeeze on moisture. By 170°F, most of the moisture will be squeezed out of a lean piece of meat.[/font]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]As meat rests, this process is partially reversed. The moisture that is driven toward the center of the meat is redistributed as the protein molecules relax and are able to reabsorb some moisture. As a result, less juice runs out of the meat when you cut into it. Willoughby claims that if you cut into meat right away, almost twice as much liquid is lost than if you let it rest before carving.[/font]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Good luck and good smoking.[/font]
 
The higher the internal temp of the meat, the longer I like to rest it. Small cuts like chicken pieces only need a few minutes...steaks and chops, as well. A 200* finish temp for a pork butt needs more time to rest than a 130-140* 7-bone beef ribeye. What's described above makes perfect sense to me. I know when I first started cooking meats, if I didn't rest it before carving, the juices eventually ended up spurting out all over the board or platter...juices aren't just moisture, they contain flavor, and once it's gone, it won't taste the same.

I try to catch meat drippings in the smoker as much as possible and use them for finishing pulled pork, or for au jus for beef....it's all about the flavor.

Eric
 
Looks like they gotcha covered

Butts taken to 200-205°

I feel resting is just as important as the cooking process.

I will try and rest my Butts for 2 hours minimum.

Butts are removed from the cooler, towels are removed and and placed on the counter still wrapped in foil after a half hour or so, I tent open the foil to let it cool slowly, the more steam you see the more moisture you loose, so the key here is to bring the temp down a little slower then just completely unwrapping.

followed by Pulling or shredding then adding de fatted drippings.
 
ExhaustedSpark's link didn't open for me.  Here is an excerpt from the article on virtualweberbullet.com:

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]The Mechanics Of Letting Meat Rest[/font]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]In [/font][font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]the book CookWise, author Shirley O. Corriher reveals a bit more detail: as meat proteins cook, they begin to shrink. Up to 120°F, the proteins shrink in diameter only and there is little moisture loss, but above 120°F the proteins also begin to shrink in length, which really puts the squeeze on moisture. By 170°F, most of the moisture will be squeezed out of a lean piece of meat.[/font]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]As meat rests, this process is partially reversed. The moisture that is driven toward the center of the meat is redistributed as the protein molecules relax and are able to reabsorb some moisture. As a result, less juice runs out of the meat when you cut into it. Willoughby claims that if you cut into meat right away, almost twice as much liquid is lost than if you let it rest before carving.[/font]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Good luck and good smoking.[/font]
Hey VENTURE, I'm experiencing some DEJA VU here...You?...JJ
 
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