Had an old line cook teach me a trick about resting meat in Portland

I was working a busy Friday night grill station at a spot in Portland and this guy who had been there 20 years walked over, grabbed my tongs, and pulled a ribeye off the fire way earlier than I would have. He said 'stop squeezing it with your tongs, you're just pushing all the juice out before it even hits the plate.' Does anyone else have a random tip from a seasoned cook that totally shifted how you work?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenixh741d agoMost Upvoted

Used to think squeezing the steak with the tongs was just part of cooking it, like you had to stay in control of it. Then a guy showed me the difference between one I'd manhandled versus one he just nudged around the fire. The one I squeezed was drier and didn't taste nearly as good, even though I cooked it the same time. Colors me dumb but now I barely touch the meat until it's on the plate.

olivia4781d ago

Oh man, this hits way too close to home! I used to treat my steaks like they owed me money, squeezing them every time I flipped them (like they were gonna run away or something). Turns out I was basically making expensive beef jerky without realizing it. Now I just gently poke them with the tongs like I'm afraid they'll bite me, and suddenly my food doesn't taste like a dusty shoe anymore. Funny how the simplest stuff is what we screw up the most, right?