Hold time & the importance of resting....

[1buckie]

Saw this elsewhere (Bretheren) & it's a real good article about resting BBQ.....

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...eat-is-sublime

From here:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212006

[1911Ron]

I've heard something about resting your chicken......

[EricD]

I prefer resting with a beer and the kettle at 225!!!!

[Craig]

I rest everything. Huge proponent! I have a relative that thinks it's a waist of time and I've tasted her turkey.... I "rest" my case.

[Saugust]

I'm sure it makes things taste better. But for me the hold time helps provide flexibility. Throw it on early- it can always rest a bit longer!

[addicted-to-smoke]

That NPR article is about holding, not resting. Very different concepts.

In my experience a very short rest is fine for grilled foods pulled off just shy of "target temp" so that the carryover brings them up. A longer rest is cold food and/or sweaty food.

But low-and-slow BBQ food held 140-170 for awhile is a different thing altogether.

[Saugust]

@addicted-to-smoke aren't they inherently the same concept? Let the moisture redistribute? But if you're going to rest it longer you have to use a heat source of some type to "hold" the temp above the food safety threshold.

[1buckie]

Just resthold a pork butt for three hours some time & it will become obvious the difference in terminology doesn't matter.....turns decent to good BBQ into magic......

[Saugust]

I do the towel and cooler method like most. They call that holding, I call it resting. Same difference to me, though I suppose it could be more than semantics.


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[addicted-to-smoke]

Holding is about keeping a constant low temp such as in a cambrio or insulated cooler and resting is letting it go down to something closer to room temp on its own, and quicker. So I don't consider them the same technique at all, even if both activities help.

Meat kept at 140-170 for 2 hours wasn't rested. It was held fairly constant! Meat allowed to sit on the kitchen counter for 15-30 minutes before slicing didn't "hold" a temperature, it got cooler and cooler and cooler by ambient temp overpowering it.

Yes they are closely related since neither is "actively" cooking the food, by letting the meat do anti-cooking things prior to being cut up.

[Saugust]

Eh. I hear yah, but they're both losing temp, it's just a matter of how quickly. Neither truly hold a temp. Like Craig's turkey. It didn't probably get any colder than a brisket in a cooler. It just cooled down more quickly.
But again I get your point. And once again, Buckie is right. It's all for the good of delicious food, so call it what you like!


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