Let it Be...
As Paul McCartney states ever so eloquently..."Let it be"
In a recent interview with The Onion, Paul McCartney, one of two Beatles who are still with us today, disclosed the real meaning behind the lyrics of the song he wrote and sang, "Let it be." McCartney tells us how he used the song as a way to remind all of us carnivores out there about the importance of letting your meat rest not only after you remove it from your heating source BUT, also before!
To be honest, we couldn't agree more with JPM or be more proud of his meaty competence. When cooking a steak or roast on the frying pan, in the oven, on the grill, or however your taste buds prefer, thou shall not go straight from the refrigerator to hot, hot, heat. One must put your meat on the counter top at room temperature and let...it...be. Allowing the meat to rest at room temperature for a short time, say 45 - 60 minutes or so, gives it adequate time, space, and energy to slowly increase in temperature so it doesn't go into immediate shock in a 400°F atmosphere. This ultimately allows for your protein of choice to have a better chance of cooking equally throughout, making each bite as enjoyable as possible!
As Mr. McCartney has highlighted in his interview, it is also very, very important to rest your choice of protein on a platter at room temperature post cooking, and let it be for 5 minutes (or 10-20 if a large roast). This allows all the juices that flow out during the cooking and plating process to have time to slowly creep back in! The juices are then redistributed back into the meat appropriately, allowing for your meal to be as juicy and tender as possible!
Are you thinking what we're thinking? If so, you are correct. The song really should be "Let it rest" if Paul was being true to kitchen lingo. During some post interview texts I exchanged with Macca, he described how "let it rest" sounded too morbid, like we were saying our unpleasant goodbyes. While "let it be" had more of a patience is a virtue vibe, and allowed him to give the protein the moments it needed to gather itself and put its best foot forward in anticipation in making us really, really happy!
Thank you Sir Paul McCartney for the many great contributions you and your team have given this world, and thank you especially for giving us this lovely jingle to remind us how to properly handle one's meat. You are officially an honorary Paulina Market butcher!