Cooking temperatures for meat

Are you working away in your kitchen and need to know the right internal temperature right now? Below we have made an attempt to gather all of them in one place, but first you must read this fat disclaimer:

Fat disclaimer

The quality of produce – as you well know – can vary and so can local variations for recommended internal temperatures. The temperatures shown here are recommendations only. They are focused on getting excellent results from excellent produce, not on taking food safety margins to the extreme.

Internal temperatures for juicy, tasty meat

Bleu: up to 45°C (beef).
Rare: 45-50°C (beef, game).
Medium-rare: 50-54°C (beef, game, veal, lamb).
Medium: 54-58°C (beef, game, veal, lamb).
Medium-well: 58-65°C (beef, game, veal, lamb).
Well done: 65-72°C (beef, game, veal, lamb, pork, poultry)

Pork: The recommendation is to take it all the way up to 70 °C or more, but you will get a juicier, tastier result if you remove the meat from the heat earlier and let it cook through while resting in a warm place. Scientifically speaking, the temperature to put an end to pathogens is 62,78°C.

Poultry: Should be taken up to 72°C to be on the safe side, but will be juicier and tastier if you remove the meat from the heat below 70°C and let it cook through while resting. Chicken breasts start drying up already at 65°C, the legs can take up to 80°C.

Keep in mind: Bones contain very little water. That is why they don't conduct much heat and why the meat is often red or pink next to the bone.

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