Internal
Temperature Cooking Chart
How To Use
a Meat Thermometer
Learn how to read and use an
Internal
Meat and Cooking Thermometer.
Cooking thermometers take the
guesswork out of cooking, as they measures the internal temperature of
your cooked meat and poultry, or any casseroles, to assure that a safe
temperature has been reached, harmful bacteria have been destroyed, and
your food is cook perfectly.
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.
If you don't regularly use a thermometer,
you should get into the habit of using one.
A cooking thermometer can be used
for all foods, not just meat. It measures the internal temperature of
your cooked meat, poultry, seafood, breads, and/or casseroles to assure that a safe
temperature has been reached and that harmful bacteria (like certain
strains of Salmonella and E. Coli O 157:H7) have been destroyed. Foods
are properly cooked only when they are heated at a high enough
temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause food-borne illness
Instant-Read and Digital Thermometers:
An instant-read thermometer is the best way to determine when
most foods are properly cooked.
The digital instant-read thermometers should be used only
toward the end of the cooking time - they're not designed to remain
in the food as it cooks. Most need to be inserted only a half-inch
deep, so they can be used on a wider variety of foods such as
burgers, pork chops, and chicken breasts. Some types can even be
calibrated.
 #1 - ThermoWorks Thermapen Instant-Read Digital Thermometer - This is the
type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my
cooking.
I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my
cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen
Thermometer
shown
in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional
users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer
is used by chefs all over the world. A well-though-out design
with just 10 seconds for reading. To learn more about this
excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire),
just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
#2
-
I have also
sometimes used the
RT600C Thermometer
(show in the photo on the right), but I prefer the ThermoWorks
Thermapen Instant-Read Digital Thermomter. To learn more about this
inexpensive excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just
click on the underlined: RT600C Thermometer.
To learn how internal thermometers are rated and which to purchase, read
HERE.
Nine (9) instant-read thermometers were tested and evaluated according to the following criteria. They are listed in order of preference.
How To Use a Cooking Thermometer
To use a cooking or meat thermometer, insert it through the fat side
of the meat, being careful not to touch bone. Bone conducts heat faster,
and you'll get a false reading of the meat's temperature.
Where to Insert - To be an accurate indicator, a meat
thermometer must be inserted properly. The sensing area of thermometers
is approximately 1 inch to 2 inches long, and this area must be completely immersed in
the deepest area of the food.
- Poultry
- insert it in the inner thigh area near the
breast of the bird, but not touching bone.
- Red meat, roasts, steaks or chops
- insert in the center
of the thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle.
- Ground meat and poultry - place in the thickest area of
meat loaf; insert sideways in thin items such as patties.
- Casseroles and egg dishes
- insert in the center or thickest area. Hot, cooked foods must be held at 140 degrees F or higher;
cold foods, at 40 degrees F or below.
REMEMBER: After each use, wash the stem of the thermometer
thoroughly in hot, soapy water.
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.
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