When cooking, it’s important to know if it’s hot enough for you. I’m not talking about the weather. There’s no question there. The weather’s so hot that the patio may be as likely to burn you as the grill. I’m talking about the temperature of food.
In order to kill bacteria that cause foodborne illness, foods need to be heated to a certain temperature. You may be familiar with the minimum safe temperature for hamburgers since some states have laws that require they be cooked well-done or 160°+ degrees. But other common cuts of meat and poultry have safe temperatures as well.
The easiest safe temperature to identify is that for eggs. When both the white and yolk are cooked firm, an egg is safe to eat. For dishes that contain raw eggs, a temperature of 160° is ideal.
Ironically, eggs are also the most common deliberately undercooked food. Right now, 7-minute, jammy eggs are popular. It’s routine to add raw eggs to protein shakes and hangover cures. And over-easy eggs have been a breakfast staple forever.
While there are some beef and fish dishes that are designed to be eaten raw, they require a higher grade of ingredients and careful handling that we may not choose to follow. For the general cooking most of us do, the following safe internal temperatures apply.
Beef: Ground 160°; Roast 145°; Steak 145°
Casseroles with raw meat or eggs: 165°
Chicken and Turkey: 165°
Eggs: Firm yolk and white
Egg Dishes: 160°
Fish: 145° or until flesh is no longer translucent
Ham: 145°; Precooked Ham USDA inspected 140°; Uninspected to 165°
Pork: Steak 145°; Roast 145°; Chops 145°; Ground 165°; Sausage 165°
Rabbit and Venison: 160°
Shrimp, Lobster, Crab, Scallops: Cook until flesh is pearly or white and opaque
Clams, Oysters, Mussels: Cook until shells open
The most accurate way to determine internal temperature is to use a meat thermometer. Many ovens include a temperature attachment for convenience. Thanksgiving turkeys often have a pop-up thermometer inserted when they’re purchased.
I have several thermometers. Only one of them is dishwasher safe. It’s the one that gets the most use for obvious reasons.
Do all cooks use thermometers? Definitely not. Some go by time or color. And some just go by feel. Grillers often use these techniques for determining when to remove food from the grill. Moms cooking frozen food that has a caution that it must reach a certain temp are likely to rely on the recommended microwave or oven time.
Consuming undercooked food or raw eggs won’t necessarily make you sick, but it does put you at greater risk of illness from Salmonella, E-coli, Staphylococcus, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Clostridium botulinum (botulism). If you’ve ever had one of these, you’re most likely already concerned and aware.
If you grew up in a family that has lax food safety, you can reduce risk from adopting the recommended standards and making sure the food is hot enough for you.
