Meat straight from the pan or oven is tense and hot at the outside. If you cut it at once, more of the juice ends up on the board. A short rest lets the heat even out and the meat relax, so it slices cleanly and stays juicy.
- Steaks and chops: rest about 5 minutes.
- Roasts: rest 10–20 minutes, loosely covered with foil, depending on size.
- Whole birds: rest 20–30 minutes before carving.
Allow for carry-over heat
The temperature in the middle keeps rising a few degrees while the meat rests, so take it off the heat a little before your target. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.
For food safety, the USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb to at least 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest, ground meat to 160°F (71°C) and all poultry to 165°F (74°C).