Why It's A Big Mistake To Cook Roast Beef With Meat Taken Right From The Fridge

You slide your roast beef out of the oven, and it looks picture-perfect, with a rich, caramelized crust that would make food photographers reach for their cameras. You grab your carving knife and start slicing. For reasons you can't fathom, the roast — which should've been nice and juicy inside, according to the recipe — is decidedly undercooked. This is exactly the kind of nightmare that unfolds when you cook roast beef with meat taken right from the fridge.

First up, it's safe to store beef in the fridge for 3-5 days (1-2 days for ground beef, according to the USDA). But cooking your meat straight out of the refrigerator is one of the many common mistakes people make with roast beef. Here's why: The process of cooking meat involves breaking down the collagen in the connective tissues (tough and chewy) into gelatin (melty and tasty). This essentially come down to manipulating two factors: heat and time. The collagen starts breaking down at temperatures of over 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and the longer it's exposed to that temperature, the more it will cook. When you start with a cold cut of meat on a pan or in the oven, you run the risk of the roast taking longer to hit the required temperature on the inside, leaving it undercooked even though the outside gets perfectly caramelized.

The best way to avoid this is to plan ahead. Take your cut of meat out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before you move it to the pan or into your oven. This will ensure a more even and predictable cook.

One other way to ensure your meat is cooked perfectly on the inside is to make sure the internal temperature of the meat is exactly where it should be. Since cooking the perfect roast is all about finding the right balance between temperature and time, you might want to invest in a digital thermometer. This single accessory can take all guesswork out of the equation. The USDA recommends that you let your meat reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit and let it rest for 3 minutes to ensure it is safe to eat. However, the ideal internal temperature of your roast will depend on the cut of beef you're using. As one Redditor put it, "If you cook a chuck roast to medium rare you're going to end up with a very undesirable piece of meat, although safe to eat. A rump roast, on the other hand, will be very tasty at medium rare."

The impact of resting your meat on the internal temperature cannot be overstated. While the reason you rest your meat is to ensure a juicy bite, your roast does continue to cook while it's resting. This means that you should take your beef off the heat when the internal temperature is at 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit below the number you want to serve it at.

Finally, reverse cooking your prime rib roast also gives you more control over the sear. This involves first cooking your roast in the oven until it's perfectly cooked before taking it out and placing it on a hot pan and letting the Maillard reaction do its magic.