Why So Many Meat Cooking “Guidelines” Are Mistaken—and What Really Makes Steaks Juicy and Rooster Crisp

All of us have kitchen “truths” we deal with as gospel—picked up from cookbooks, cooks we admire, or repeated so typically they only turn into truth. Then somebody places it to the take a look at and all of a sudden there’s this somber little second of, “Wait…is every part I imagine a lie?” 

There is a purpose there are die-hard Pluto-preservation teams on the market—when one thing you’ve got confidently believed seems to be flawed, it rattles you somewhat. And nowhere does that occur greater than with meat. So lots of our “guidelines” about searing, resting, or braising have been handed down like sacred custom, solely to disintegrate beneath rigorous testing. 

The factor about science is, it does not all the time sit nonetheless. What felt like gospel one yr can disintegrate the following as analysis and strategies evolve.

Prefer it or not, just a few beloved meat cooking guidelines we have handled as legislation have been by no means legal guidelines in any respect. Let’s check out some that deserve retirement.

Delusion 1: Resting Meat Lets It Reabsorb Its Juices

We have lengthy been instructed to let meat relaxation after cooking so the juices can “settle again in.” However newer testing tells a distinct story. As our editorial director, Daniel, present in a current sequence of meat resting exams (constructing on earlier work from Kenji, Severe Eats’ culinary director emeritus and food-science whiz, in addition to Meathead from Superb Ribs, and Modernist Delicacies alum Chris Younger), meat resting is not about reabsorbing juice in any respect.

The important thing issue is temperature and the interior strain that comes with it. Slice meat whereas it is screaming sizzling, and extra liquid will rush out—not as a result of it must “reabsorb,” however as a result of warmth will increase inside strain.

When testers managed for closing inside temperature, rested and unrested meat misplaced primarily the identical quantity of juice. In different phrases, the good thing about resting is not about drawing liquid again in—it is merely giving the meat time to coast to its goal temp through carryover cooking, so you are not slicing into it whereas it is nonetheless constructing warmth and strain.

Delusion 2: Piercing Meat Whereas Cooking Makes It “Lose All Its Juices”

You’ve got most likely heard that poking a steak with a thermometer and even flipping it with a fork whereas cooking will make it dry out, as when you’ve burst some sort of seal earlier than it is completed cooking. In actuality, there isn’t a seal, and the tip of a thermometer or fork is not sharp sufficient to slice by means of the muscle fibrils, the sheath-like containers that maintain moisture. As Kenji confirmed in his testing, all you are actually doing is gently nudging some fibers aside. You may see the tiniest droplet, however the loss is so small that it is under what tasters can understand.

Even chopping right into a steak to peek will not meaningfully change juiciness (although it is not one of the best ways to examine doneness since sizzling juices could make it look extra uncommon than it really is).

The true menace to a juicy steak is not one poke—it is overcooking. Skipping the thermometer out of concern of “shedding juices” is way extra prone to dry your meat out than utilizing one.

So do not stress about probing your meat. A fast temperature examine with an instant-read thermometer protects juiciness far more than avoiding a single poke ever will.

Delusion 3: Searing Meat “Locks in” Juices

I hope at this level everyone knows this one’s a fantasy, however it nonetheless pops up in every single place. Searing does not seal meat; it will probably’t. There is no waterproof crust forming, no juice-tight barrier hardening on the surface. In lots of side-by-side exams, seared steaks really lose barely extra moisture than unseared ones, as a result of the warmer floor temperature drives a bit extra evaporation.

So why sear? Taste. Browning (due to the Maillard response) creates a deeply savory crust and makes meat style higher—not juicier. If you’d like a steak that is each well-browned and actually moist, the important thing is not “locking in” something; it is correct cooking temperature and never overcooking within the first place.

Delusion 4: Rooster Must be Cooked to 165°F

You needn’t take each rooster breast to 165°F for it to be protected—that quantity simply ensures on the spot pasteurization. As Kenji reveals in our sous vide rooster information, meals security can be a operate of time and temperature collectively. Holding rooster at barely decrease temperatures for the correct amount of time achieves the identical bacterial discount, and with far juicier outcomes.

In that testing, rooster breasts cooked between 140–150°F stayed tender and moist, whereas nonetheless reaching full pasteurization thanks to express temperature management and maintain time. So the actual rule is not to all the time cook dinner to 165°F; it is to hit a protected, examined temperature and maintain it there lengthy sufficient. A thermometer remains to be important—you simply do not should cook dinner rooster to at least one fastened quantity to do it proper. For lean cuts, a decrease temperature is healthier, although for darkish meat we advise blowing proper previous 165°F for a extra succulent texture.

Delusion 5: Get the Pan Ripping Sizzling Earlier than Searing

We have lengthy been instructed to preheat the pan with oil or butter till it is ripping sizzling earlier than including meat so it sears immediately and kinds a deep golden crust. However new testing reveals that recommendation could also be backward. As our senior culinary editor, Leah, present in a current spherical of kitchen trials (constructing on earlier work from Kenji and different curious cooks), beginning meat in a chilly pan can really result in juicier, extra evenly cooked outcomes.

The important thing issue is not searing energy, it is warmth administration. Drop meat right into a blazing-hot skillet, and the sudden temperature shock tightens the muscle fibers, squeezing out moisture earlier than the inside has an opportunity to cook dinner by means of. Begin chilly, and the warmth builds step by step, letting fats render slowly, browning develop evenly, and muscle fibers loosen up as an alternative of seize.

When Leah in contrast each strategies facet by facet, the outcomes have been clear: The cold-start strategy produced meat that was extra tender and flavorful, whereas the standard sizzling sear left dry patches and uneven doneness. 

Delusion 6: The Longer the Braise, the Higher

It seems meat braises do not really get higher the longer they cook dinner. Push them too far, and as an alternative of silky, tender bites, you find yourself with meat that tastes oddly dry and pasty, regardless that it has been cooking in liquid all day. As Kenji’s testing reveals, the explanation is not further moisture loss; it is construction. Within the first few hours, collagen melts into gelatin and beef turns into plush and spoon-tender. After that, the muscle fibers begin to break down a lot that they cannot maintain onto juices anymore. Chew into it, and as an alternative of releasing moisture step by step, every part squeezes out without delay, leaving a fibrous, mealy texture behind.

The candy spot is sooner than many individuals suppose. There is a level the place the connective tissue has softened and the meat is tender however nonetheless holds collectively once you elevate it with a fork—that is when to cease. Go previous it, and the fibers collapse, turning right into a pulpy mash with not one of the satisfying chew or juiciness that makes an important stew so good.

The Takeaway

If there’s one factor these myths show, it is that cooking meat properly is not about memorizing “guidelines.” It is about understanding what’s really occurring contained in the pan (or the steak, or the rooster). Temperature, time, and somewhat curiosity matter excess of kitchen myths.

November 4th, 2025