# Need help with a recipe

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-a-recipe/390819>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 4, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-a-recipe/390819 "2007-02-04T20:46:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-a-recipe/390819/1 "2007-02-04T20:46:46Z")

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[Gyro Meat](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30420,00.html?rsrc=search)

> [@](#):
>
> To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:  
> Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
> 
> Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.

This doesn’t make any sense to me… how does taking it out of the oven at 165 to 170, and putting it on a cooling rack with a brick on it raise the temp to 175?

Am I missing something? 😕

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**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-a-recipe/390819/2 "2007-02-04T20:57:21Z")

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The thermometer is in the middle of the meat; the outside is going to be hotter, and the heat will transfer to the middle. Leave it in the oven until the thermometer reads 165 and you’ll end up with something like a Texas steak.

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**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-a-recipe/390819/3 "2007-02-04T20:58:06Z")

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When you take a large solid thing out of the oven, the outsides are much hotter than the insides. Letting it rest for awhile let’s that heat from the outsides seep into the insides without adding more heat than you need for the whole thing. It’s a standard practice when cooking roasts, turkeys, etc.

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**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-a-recipe/390819/4 "2007-02-04T20:59:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Mapache]  
The thermometer is in the middle of the meat; the outside is going to be hotter, and the heat will transfer to the middle. Leave it in the oven until the thermometer reads 165 and you’ll end up with something like a Texas steak.  
[/QUOTE]

:smack: Thank you **Mapache** , that makes sense.