Internal temperature of meat

Why

Safety depends on the temperature in the thickest part of the piece, not on the recipe's timing or the colour: minced meat can turn brown before it reaches a safe temperature, while lean meat may stay pink even when cooked through. US authorities (USDA, CDC) give minimum core temperatures of 74 °C for all poultry, 71 °C for minced meat and 63 °C for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb, which should then rest for at least 3 minutes. European authorities work with a holding time: the UK FSA and the German BfR give 70 °C in the core for 2 minutes, and the FSA advises cooking poultry, pork and minced meat right through, with no pink. According to the FSA, a whole cut of beef or lamb may be served pink because the bacteria sit on the surface, which gets seared; culinary levels such as rare (around 52–55 °C) or medium rare (around 55–60 °C) lie below the US threshold, though, so they are a matter of personal choice, and for pregnant women, young children, older people and anyone with weakened immunity it is safer to cook the meat through.

How to do it

• Measure with a probe thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone and fat; push it into a thin patty from the side.
• Cook poultry until the core reads at least 74 °C, including the thighs and stuffing.
• Cook minced meat, sausages and stuffed rolls to at least 71 °C, with no pink inside.
• Take whole cuts of beef and lamb off at 63 °C at the earliest and rest them for at least 3 minutes; cook pork through to 70 °C, as in European practice.
• If you choose a pink steak, always sear it well on all sides, and serve it cooked through to vulnerable groups.

If it goes wrong

If the thermometer reads too low, put the meat back in the oven or pan and measure again after a few minutes; finish cut slices in the pan. Overcooked, dry meat won't turn juicy again – slice it thinly and serve it with a sauce; next time take it off a few degrees earlier and allow for carryover cooking.