Your guide to resting beef

Allowing your cooked beef to 'rest' may sound a bit strange, but delicious things happen to your meat when it's given a chance to relax.

What you need to know

Why rest beef after cooking?

You’ve cooked your beef and now it’s time to let the meat rest.

Resting allows the natural meat juices redistribute through the muscle, relaxing the meat fibres so you can savour delicious tender and juicy beef

How to rest beef

  • Remove beef from heat
  • Place on a warm plate or serving platter 
  • Cover loosely with foil (too tight and you'll make the hot meat sweat and lose valuable moisture)

How long should beef rest?

Many chefs follow the rule of thumb of 1 minute resting time for every 100 g of meat.

Resting time depends on the size of your cut. We like to give a roast 10–20 minutes rest before carving and allow steaks to stand for 3–5 minutes before serving.