Meat Temperature Cooking

By MeanJean

Ingredients

• A cooking or meat thermometer should not be a "sometime thing." Use it every time you prepare foods like poultry, roasts, hams, casseroles, meat loaves, and egg dishes.
• to are properly cooked only when they are heated at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause food-borne illness

Details

Adapted from whatscookingamerica.net

Preparation

Step 1

Meat Resting Period - After desired cooking temperature is reached, remove meat from heat source and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. The amount of time required for resting varies with the size of the cut of your meat. During this resting time, the meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 20 degrees after it is removed from the heat source) and the juices redistribute.

Beef and Lamb Cooking Temperature Chart
Roasts, Steaks & Chops

Rare - 120 to 125 degrees F
center is bright red, pinkish toward the exterior portion

Medium Rare - 130 to 135 degrees F
center is very pink, slightly brown toward the exterior portion

Medium - 140 to 145 degrees F
center is light pink, outer portion is brown

Medium Well - 150 to 155 degrees F
not pink

Well Done - 160 degrees F and above
steak is uniformly brown throughout
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Ground Meat

160 to 165 degrees F
No longer pink but uniformly brown throughout

Poultry Cooking Temperature Chart

Poultry (Chicken & Duck)
165 degrees F - cook until juices run clear

Turkey - 165 degrees F
NOTE: A 12-lb turkey can easily handle 60 to 90 minutes of resting. During that time, temperature can rise 30 degrees if not exposed to drafts.
juices run clear - leg moves easily
Stuffing (cooked alone or in turkey) - 165 degrees F
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Pork Cooking Temperature Chart
Roasts, Steaks & Chops

Medium - 140 to 145 degrees F
pale pink center

Well Done - 160 degrees F and above
steak is uniformly brown throughout
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Pork ribs, pork shoulders, and beef brisket
160 degrees F and above medium to well done

Sausage (raw) - 160 degrees F - no longer pink

Ham -
Raw - 160 degrees F
Pre-cooked - 140 degrees F
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Fish and Seafood Cooking Temperature Chart

Fish (steaks, filleted or whole) - 140 degrees F
flesh is opaque, flakes easily

Tuna, Swordfish, & Marlin - 125 degrees F
cook until medium-rare (do not overcook or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor

Shrimp - Medium-size, boiling 3 to 4 minutes
cook until medium-rare (do not overcook or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor

Large-size, boiling - 5 to 7 minues
cook until medium-rare (do not overcook or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor

Jumbo-size, boiling - 7 to 8 minutes
cook until medium-rare (do not overcook or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor

Lobster - Boiled, whole - 1 lb. 12 to 15 minutes
meat turns red and opaque in center when cut

Broiled, whole - 1 1/2 lbs. - 3 to 4 minutes
meat turns red and opaque in center when cut
Steamed, whole - 1 1/2 lbs. - 15 to 20 minutes
meat turns red and opaque in center when cut

Baked, tails - each - 15 minutes
meat turns red and opaque in center when cut

Broiled, tails - each - 9 to 10 minutes
meat turns red and opaque in center when cut

Scallops -
Bake 12 to 15 minutes milky white or opaque, and firm
Broil - milky white or opaque, and firm

Clams, Mussels & Oysters
point at which their shells open - throw away any that do not open