What's the trick to getting that perfectly medium-rare steak or extra-juicy pork chops? The answer is being precise with the temperature to which you cook your meats, and knowing when to remove those items from the heat. For this, using a thermometer is key, so check out our post on Thermometers for more on choosing the right one for the job.
Below are two charts, one which shows temperature ranges for doneness levels on meats like Beef and Pork that can safely be cooked to varying degrees of doneness based on your taste preference. The other shows the minimum safe temperature for cooking other meat items where doneness level is not a factor (nobody wants their chicken medium-rare!).
You'll notice at the bottom of each chart that we recommend removing items from the heat right before reaching the desired temp due to the phenomenon of Carry-Over Cooking, click the link for more on that.
While all this info might seem overwhelming at first, understand that cooking to the proper temp only requires following our Cooking Instructions, consulting our Temp Chart that came with your box (also included below!) when cooking to a specific doneness, and ideally checking your temps with a thermometer to be extra precise. Happy Cooking!
Doneness Chart
These cuts can be cooked to different temperatures based on your preference:
*These temperatures are ideal peak temperatures. Meats should be removed from heat 5 to 10°F (2 to 5°C; more for larger cuts) lower and allowed to rise to their final temperature during resting.
