Rest Cooked Meat Before Serving

When roasting any type of meat, whether it is a hamburger, steak, roast or a whole chicken, it is always best to allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving. The simple guidelines below can be used for any type of meat.

• Remove the meat from the heat source when it reaches a temperature 5 to 10 degrees below the desired doneness temperature.
• Remove the roast from the oven and place aluminum foil loosely over the meat to hold in the heat. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes.
• The temperature will continue to rise 5 or 10 degrees, reaching the proper doneness. The resting period will allow the juices to settle in the roast making it more tender and easier to carve.
• Cooking Temperature Example: A beef roast cooked to medium-rare should have an internal temperature of 145°F - 150ºF after the resting period, and a roast cooked to medium should have an internal temperature of 150°F to 160ºF. A medium-rare roast should be removed from the heat source when the internal temperature reaches 140° F. - 145° F. and a medium roast should be removed when it reaches 145° F. - 155° F.