Why are we advised to leave a joint to “rest” for 10 mins or so before carving?
As I understand it, it allows the meat juices to distribute evenly and the met fibres to relax, making for a moist, easy to carve joint.
A number of reasons…
-It may just fall apart is carved straight from the oven, because the texture of the meat will typically be a little loose and open from internal steam.
-Even distribution of juices, as OAWA says
-You may scald yourself if you try to carve it piping hot
Ta very much, now I know not to carve when straight from oven
Does the same go for a roast chicken?
Pretty much any roast meat, as far as I know, yes.
According to Alton Brown, if you don’t let your meat rest, steam pressure will force all the juices out of the meat and you will be left with a piece of shoe leather floating in a pool of juice. How long you let your meat rest depends on its thickness. You also shouldn’t pierce your meat with a fork for the same reason.
FWIW,
Rob
The best way to learn cooking answers is to try stuff out.
Next time you cook a roast, pull it out of the oven, cut off a slice or two and try them, then cover the rest with foil and leave for 10 minutes. Cut another slice and spot the difference.
You will notice that when you slice it straight out of the oven the juices just run out of the meat, 10 minutes later not so much because as AB says the tissues reabsorb the juices upon resting.
Yeah, they say if you don’t let it rest, all of those good juices will just fall out of it.
He just made that up to sound scientific. The liquid is actually the meat crying at the suffering of such mistreatment.