Is It Done? Grab a Meat Thermometer
When you’ve been cooking meat day in and day out for many years, you get a sense of when something is done. But even when you know your stuff, a meat thermometer is one of the most useful kitchen tools to have. Using temperature to test for doneness is a much better and more accurate method than following the clock. Time, including minutes per pound for roasts, just isn't as precise as temperature. To avoid overcooking meat, rely on a meat thermometer to check for doneness as you cook. Our staff uses meat thermometers all of the time and, if you've chatted with our retail crew, you know we're always telling customers to cook a steak or a burger to a certain temperature rather than attempting to time it. All of this is to say if you don't own a meat thermometer, it's time to get one.
HOW TO CHOOSE A MEAT THERMOMETER
There are many different types to choose from: they range from the cheap kind that you insert into the meat when you take it out of the oven to more expensive probes that you leave in while cooking. Some even have timers that notify you when the meat has reached a certain temperature. A dial or a digital display is up to you (and your wallet). The only ones we don’t suggest using are the type that have the temperature readings for beef, pork, lamb, or poultry on the face of the thermometer itself; their standardized interior temperature ranges means you are destined to overcook your meat.
KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT
Before you start, get to know your oven and your stovetop. Is your oven convection, or standard gas or electric? Do you know how to use it? How accurate is your oven? Is the 425 degrees called for in a recipe actually 425 degrees in your oven? Knowing how your equipment responds will help you achieve the best cooking results.
HOW TO USE A MEAT THERMOMETER
When using a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the meat, but do not hit the bone. Look for a temperature reading of 5 degrees below the “actual" final temperature you’re going for; meat continues to cook at least that much after you have removed it from a heat source. Wash your thermometer with hot soapy water after every use – never put it in the dishwasher.
TEMPERATURES TO CHECK FOR
There are many great guides from chefs and food magazines listing optimal temperatures that meat should be when served for best flavor, chew, and juiciness. And there are also government guidelines. Keep in mind that the USDA guidelines are for safety, not taste or texture. For example, they suggest always cooking beef well-done, including for burgers. We can’t think of any restaurant chef or home cook who follows those recommendations. They also say never cook pork under 145 degrees. Keep in mind that when you pull something out of the oven or off a grill, it will keep cooking, so use your meat thermometer and take it off the heat below the temperature you’re hoping to serve it at. For example, in our perfect steak recipe, we suggest 120 degrees F for medium-rare as it will continue to cook. The going thoughts on optimal meat cooking temperatures are:
Beef
(for burgers, take this down by 5 degrees per desired doneness i.e. medium-rare for ground beef is 125 degrees)
Rare: 125 degrees
Medium-Rare: 130 degrees
Medium: 140 degrees
Medium-Well: 150 degrees
Well-Done: 160 degrees
Lamb
Rare: 125 degrees
Medium-Rare: 130 degrees
Medium: 140 degrees
Medium-Well: 150 degrees
Well-Done: 160 degrees
Pork
Medium: 145 degrees
Well-Done: 160 degrees
THE HAND TEST
In our book, The Butcher’s Guide to Well-Raised Meat, we describe how you can also test doneness by using a hand test. You can try this in conjunction with a thermometer to see how accurate your assessment is. Practice makes perfect. Here’s how. Poke the center of the meat (the least cooked area) with your fingertip. The more rare it is, the tenderer it will be and the less bounce back the muscle will have.
*If the center feels squishy like the space around the base of your thumb or between your thumb and the pointer finger, it’s rare.
*If the center feels like the heel of your relaxed hand, it’s medium.
*If the center feels like the heel of your flexed hand, it’s well-done.
*If the center feels like the tip of your nose, it’s overcooked.
