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The best way to achieve your desired level of doneness is to use a meat thermometer.
Insert the meat thermometer into the largest and/or thickest part of the cut avoiding
any bones or grizzle. Bones or grizzle may give a false positive reading that your
cut is done.
Most importantly, when you remove your cut from its heat source, it holds its internal
heat and will continue cooking for a short time.
To ensure that you selection is cooked to perfection; remove your cut when it is
approximately 4 to 10 degrees below the suggested final temperature.
Our Recommended Final Cooking Temperatures:
Rare
125°
Soft, juicy with red center
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Medium Rare
130°-135° Tender with dark pink center
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Medium
140°-145° Firm with tan to light pink center
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Medium Well
150°-155°
More firm, light brown with small pink center
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Well Done
160°-165° Consistent light brown with dark edges
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Personal tastes vary. The above is
only a recommendation. The USDA suggests cooking meat to Medium Rare (145°), Medium
(160°) or Well Done (170°) only.
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Safe Handling Instructions
This product was prepared from inspected and passed meat and/or poultry. Some food
products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if the product is mishandled
or cooked improperly. For your protection, follow these safe handling instructions.
- Keep refrigerated or frozen. Thaw in refrigerator or microwave.
- Keep raw
meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash working surfaces (including cutting
boards), utensils, and hands after touching raw meat or poultry.
- Cook thoroughly.
- Keep hot foods hot. Refrigerate leftovers immediately or discard.
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Slow Cooking: Stews, Potted Meats and Braises
When utilizing a slow cooking method the use of a thermometer is not effective.
To check for doneness stick a two-pronged fork into the meat. If the fork comes
out with very little resistance then the meat is probably done. If you encounter
resistance, your cut likely needs more cooking time in its heat source.
Tip: If you are slow cooking a dish
to be reheated, do not cook the meat completely. Slightly undercooking your entrée
will enable you to reheat perfectly and prevent it from falling apart.
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How to Cook: Ground Meat
Ground meat, especially hamburgers, are often cooked to the same degree of doneness
as steaks. Depending on the way you like your hamburgers cooked consult our recommended
final cooking temperatures and use an instant read thermometer to achieve your degree
of doneness.
When cooking a meatloaf or meatballs, it is desirable to continue cooking until
you reach Medium Well to Well Done, about 155° to 160° with an instant read thermometer.
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Use an instant read thermometer to achieve the proper level of doneness when cooking
pork. Insert the thermometer into the largest and/or thickest part of the cut avoiding
any bones or grizzle. Bones or grizzle may give a false positive reading that your
cut is done.
Please note: When you remove your pork from its heat source, it holds its internal
heat and will continue cooking for a short time.
To ensure that you selection is cooked to perfection; remove your cut approximately
4 to 10 degrees below the suggested final temperature.
Our Recommended Final Cooking Temperature:
150°
Slightly pink in center, mostly white on outside
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Personal tastes vary. The above is
only a recommendation. The USDA suggests cooking pork to Medium (160°) and Well
Done (170°) only.
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Safe Handling Instructions
This product was prepared from inspected and passed meat and/or poultry. Some food
products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if the product is mishandled
or cooked improperly. For your protection, follow these safe handling instructions.
- Keep refrigerated or frozen. Thaw in refrigerator or microwave.
- Keep raw
meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash working surfaces (including cutting
boards), utensils, and hands after touching raw meat or poultry.
- Cook thoroughly.
- Keep hot foods hot. Refrigerate leftovers immediately or discard.
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Why cook to approximately 150°?
According to the CDC, Roundworm Trichinella Spiralis is relatively rare. Trichinosis
is believed to be eliminated at 137°. To allow for inaccuracies in different thermometers
and their placement, most experts recommend cooking pork to150°. Follow this guideline
and pork entrées should be juicy and safe to enjoy. Overcooking will only cause
your cut to eat tough and dry. The USDA suggests cooking pork to Medium (160°) and
Well Done (170°) only.
For further information, please refer to the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/trichinosis/factsht_trichinosis.htm
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Slow Cooked: Stews, Potted Meats and Braises
When utilizing a slow cooking method the use of a thermometer is not effective.
To check for doneness stick a two-pronged fork into the meat. If the fork comes
out with very little resistance then the meat is probably done. If you encounter
resistance, your cut likely needs more cooking time in its heat source.
Tip: If you are slow cooking a dish
to be reheated, do not cook the meat completely. Slightly undercooking your entrée
will enable you to reheat perfectly and prevent it from falling apart.
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How to Cook Ground Pork
Ground pork is often cooked to the same degree of doneness as other pork cuts. Consult
our recommended final cooking temperatures and use an instant read thermometer to
achieve your degree of doneness.
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Use an instant read thermometer to achieve the proper level of doneness when cooking
pork. Insert the thermometer into the largest and/or thickest part of the cut avoiding
any bones or grizzle. Bones or grizzle may give a false positive reading that your
cut is done.
Please note: When you remove your pork from its heat source, it holds its internal
heat and will continue cooking for a short time.
To ensure that you selection is cooked to perfection; remove your cut approximately
4 to 10 degrees below the suggested final temperature.
Our Recommended Final Cooking Temperature:
Personal tastes vary. The above is
only a recommendation. The USDA suggests cooking Poultry to 165°.
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Safe Handling Instructions
This product was prepared from inspected and passed meat and/or poultry. Some food
products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if the product is mishandled
or cooked improperly. For your protection, follow these safe handling instructions.
- Keep refrigerated or frozen. Thaw in refrigerator or microwave.
- Keep raw
meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash working surfaces (including cutting
boards), utensils, and hands after touching raw meat or poultry.
- Cook thoroughly.
- Keep hot foods hot. Refrigerate leftovers immediately or discard.
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How to Cook Ground Poultry
Many people tend to overcook ground poultry. The most efficient way to ensure doneness
is to use an instant read thermometer. When it reads approximately 160° your ground
poultry is most probably cooked to the proper temperature.
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Beef, Lamb, Veal and Pork
It is crucial to allow cuts to rest after cooking. “Resting” helps meat remain succulent
and juicy. Cover meat loosely with aluminum foil. Allow smaller cuts to rest for
up to 10 minutes and larger pieces approximately 20 minutes.
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Poultry
It is necessary to let a whole chicken or turkey rest after cooking. Cover poultry
loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for up to 10 minutes. A larger whole
bird may need up to 20 minutes rest after removing it from your heat source.
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A thermometer is the most important cooking instrument in your kitchen. It is not
only very useful to test for the doneness of meats and poultry depending on your
taste, but is essential to avoid food borne illness. The most common types are instant
read, electronic probe and candy, jelly and deep-fat fry thermometers.
Electronic probe thermometers have a probe that remains in the food during the cooking
process. This device can offer cooks the ability to monitor the temperature without
opening the oven or grill.
Instant read thermometers have a stainless steel stem with either a dial or a digital
readout. Some instant reads have ovenproof dials that are outfitted with a glass
face that can remain in the oven or grill. Other instant reads have a plastic face
that are not ovenproof. These thermometers must be inserted and reinserted to check
doneness of meat. This method is less preferable because frequent opening of the
oven or grill disturbs consistency of temperature.
Candy, jelly and deep-fat fry thermometers withstand much higher heat. These thermometers
are much longer and contain a hook to attach it to the side of the pot. They typically
measure temperatures up to 400° while instant reads usually measure up to 220°.
For most applications, the instant read is the simplest and quickest way to see
if your food product is at the desired doneness. Insert the thermometer approximately
halfway through the thicker part of your cut (usually about 2 inches) and wait for
the needle to settle to take your reading. The reading should take between 10-15
seconds to register. Thin foods such as hamburgers, chicken breasts or pork chops
may require insertion in the side. Please note: Avoid slicing into a cut of meat
to check for doneness as this can result in overcooking.
It is necessary to periodically check the accuracy of a food thermometer to obtain
the right final cooking temperature. Two techniques are recommended:
- Ice Water Method: Fill a large glass with finely crushed ice. Add clean water to
the top of the ice and stir well. Immerse the thermometer stem a minimum of 2 inches
into the mixture. The thermometer should read 32 °F after 30 seconds.
- Boiling Water Method: Bring water in a deep pan to a full rolling boil. Immerse
the stem of the thermometer 2 inches into boiling water. The thermometer should
read 212 °F after 30 seconds.
Follow manufacturer's recommendations. Most dial thermometers have a calibration
nut under the dial that can be adjusted. Check the package for instructions.
Tip: Once a thermometer reads close
to the desired temperature it takes only a short time for your cut to reach its
optimal temperature. For example, if your roast reads 150° with an instant read
thermometer it may take only about 5-7 minutes more to reach your optimal cooking
temperature of 160°.
For more information on thermometers visit:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Use_a_Food_Thermometer/index.asp
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USDA Recommended Cooking Temperatures
Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached
a high enough temperature to destroy food borne bacteria.
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Food |
°F |
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Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures
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Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb
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160
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Turkey, Chicken
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165
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Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb
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Medium Rare
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145
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Medium
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160
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Well Done
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170
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Poultry
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Chicken and Turkey, Whole
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165
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Poultry Breasts, Roast
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165
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Poultry Thighs, Wings
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165
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Duck and Goose
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165
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Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird)
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165
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Fresh Pork
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160 |
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Ham
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Fresh (raw)
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160
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Pre-cooked (to reheat)
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140
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Abridged from:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Use_a_Food_Thermometer/index.asp
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