Meat Cooking Levels

There is an old #myth that you can use the so-called “squish test” on your hand to determine how well-done a piece of meat is. The problem with this is people’s hands are different – the only real test is to use a thermometer. Here is a handy guide to tell you how well done your meat actually is:

Level Temperature (F) Description
Rare 120 cold red center; soft
Medium Rare 130 warm red center; firmer
Medium 140 Pink and firm
Medium Well 150 Small amount of pink in the center
Well Done 160 Gray-brown throughout; firm

Note the Department of Agriculture generally recommends cooking most meat to 145 F to prevent illness.

 

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