«
»

Tip: Chef’s Meat Temperature Cooking Chart

I’ve been looking for a good meat temperature chart since I bought a top-of-the-line instant-read digital thermometer, the  Thermapen (more on this in another post).

So after a bit of searching, I found something I think may be a keeper.  This chart below is from the Knol wiki, and has “chef” cooking temperatures, which is what restaurant chefs use.  Also listed are the USDA Recommended temperatures, which give you temperatures at which you will be absolutely safe from bacteria.

I recommend you read the wiki entry for more detailed explanations and tips from the author. Obviously, use this info at your own risk as I don’t claim to be a food safety expert.

Doneness

Serving temp

Description
Beef, lamb, duck breast, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts (USDA minimum: 145F) *
Raw Less than 125F (52C) Bright purple-red, cool, stringy, slightly juicy
Rare 125-130F (52-54C) Red center, warm, tender, juicy
Medium rare 130-140F (54-60C) Pink center, warm, firm, can be juicy
Medium 140-150F (60-66C) Tan with hints of pink, firm, not very juicy
Medium well 150-160F (66-71C) Tan center, firm to tough, little juice
Well done more than 160F (71C) Tan to brown center, tough, little juice
Ground meats, burgers, meat loaf, and sausages (USDA minimum 160F)
Safe 160F (71C) or more Tan-brown (no sign of pink)
Pork steaks, chops, and roasts (USDA minimum: 160F)
Raw Less than 125F (52C) Bright pink center, cool, stringy, slightly juicy
Rare 125-130F (52-54C) Pale pink center, warm, tender, very juicy
Medium rare 130-140F (54-60C) Creamy with a slight pink tinge, tender, juicy
Medium 140-150F (60-66C) Cream colored, firm, slightly pink juices
Well done more than 150F (66C) Cream colored, firm to tough, clear juices
Pork ribs, pork shoulders, and beef brisket cooked low and slow at 225F **
Tender and juicy 190F (88C) Pale white to tan center, tender, clear juices
Pre-cooked ham and hot dogs
Safe 140F (60C) Purple-pink meat
Turkey (USDA minimum: 165F)
Safe and moist 165F (74C) Cream colored, tender, clear juices
Chicken (USDA minimum: 165F)
Safe and moist 165F (74C) Cream colored, tender, clear juices
Fish (USDA minimum: 145F)
Medium 135F (57C) Slightly translucent meat, flakes easily
Well done 145F (63C) Opaque, pearly meat
Unpasteurized eggs (USDA minimum: 160F)
Safe 160F (71C) Solid yolks
Share
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Related posts:

  1. Recipe: Lemon-Herb Marinated Lamb Chops Here’s a lamb chops recipe I put together that I feel is pretty straightforward.  The cooking technique is one I learned from another recipe...

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 9:01 AM and is filed under Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply