After cooking pork, what rest period is recommended to ensure juices settle?

• A. 3 minutes
• B. 0 minutes
• C. 5 minutes
• D. 1 minute

Answer: (A)

Resting meat after cooking lets the juices redistribute inside the muscle, keeping the pork juicy when you cut into it. While pork cooks, juices are pushed toward the center; a brief rest lets those juices reabsorb into the meat fibers and the surface set, so slicing doesn’t push moisture out onto the cutting board. It also accounts for carryover cooking, where the internal temperature rises a bit after removal from heat. A short rest—about 3 minutes for typical portions—strikes a balance between maintaining warmth and maximizing juiciness. Resting too little leads to juice loss on slicing, while resting too long can cool the meat too much.