system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do meats need to rest after cooking, before carving? What is it about letting them rest away from the heat source that causes the juices to reabsorb?
gpt
The basic reason is that protein molecules are coil shaped and they 'tighten' up when heated (cooked) and force out moisture. When meat cools, the coils unwind and reabsorb a bit of moisture making the meat juicier. Think of it like ringing out a towel. When you wind the towel up, the moisture is squeezed out. If you lay the towel down, it will unwind and reabsorb some of the water you squeezed out.