Ever been reminded to take the meat out of the freezer or fridge before your mom gets home? If you forgot, she probably wasn’t out to get you for no reason. While some chefs claim that it doesn’t affect the taste, letting your meat come to room temp boils down to getting the perfect texture and sear, which might affect the taste.
It’s one of those cooking tips that gets thrown around a lot, like salting pasta water or not cutting into steak before it’s had enough time to rest. But does it truly make a difference?
Give It a Rest
The big idea behind letting your meat come to room temp is that it will cook more evenly. If it’s too cold in the centre, you risk the outside overcooking before the inside even begins to warm up. And yes, that’s especially true for thicker cuts like ribeye steaks or bone-in chicken thighs.
Meat around the bone also takes longer to cook, so letting your meat come to room temp stands to reason. A steak that’s had 30 minutes to shake off the chill is more likely to hit that juicy medium rare you’re aiming for, without getting a grey band of overdone meat around the edges.
Meat from the fridge can cause the pan’s temperature to drop, so allowing it to come to room temp helps form a proper crust.
Don’t expect miracles, though. Letting meat come to room temp doesn’t mean it will be perfect every time, but it can be one of those small steps that speed up the process. Some might say that it doesn’t make a difference in taste, and that’s where things get interesting. If you’re making a slow-cooked dish like coq au vin or a meaty soup like pozole, waiting for your meat to come to room temperature won’t make much of a difference if that tender, fall-apart texture is what you’re after, but it does make a difference when pan-grilling steak or braaing (barbecuing) chicken.
Take the Chill Off
Here’s the catch: meat doesn’t actually come to room temp in 30 or even 60 minutes. Not in the middle, anyway. What it does do is take the chill off, which helps it sear better. Meat straight from the fridge can cause the pan’s temperature to drop, so giving it a bit of time out on the counter means you’re more likely to form a proper crust. That’s especially helpful when cooking steaks, burgers or anything where browning equals flavour.
There’s no need to overdo it. An hour, one and a half hours max, is more than enough for most cuts – any longer and you’re entering a food safety danger zone, when it’s most susceptible to growing bacteria; this happens between 4 ℃ and 60 ℃.
Don’t Enter the Danger Zone
For safe food handling practices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends not leaving meat at room temperature longer than 2 hours. You want the meat to come to room temp, not sit around breeding bacteria. Smaller pieces like chicken breasts or pork chops need even less time – 20 to 30 minutes will do the trick. Also, make sure that you use a dedicated meat tray to sit on to avoid cross-contamination. Leaving it out in the open isn’t smart either.
It also depends on how you’re cooking. If you’re slow-roasting a whole shoulder or braising short ribs, the internal temperature climb will be gentle anyway, so starting from fridge-cold won’t make a huge difference. But if you’re throwing something onto a ripping hot pan or grill, letting your meat come to room temp helps balance things out.
Letting meat come to room temp is a useful trick, especially for quick-cooking, high-heat methods. It won’t drastically transform your dinner, but it helps form a good sear and even cook a bit faster. It’s one of those habits that, once you’ve done it a few times, just become part of the prep, like cleaning as you cook.
