Should i use a meat thermometer

For the most accurate reading, place the thermometer into the thickest portion of meat, avoiding fat and bone. You're looking to find the lowest internal temperature—that's the most accurate temperature for the core of the meat. If you're using a Thermoworks thermometer, the temperature reading is taken from the very tip of the probe, so watch the read-out as you push the probe into the meat. The temperature should keep dropping as the probe goes into the deepest part of the meat—if you see the temperature starting to rise again, you've gone too far.

Check the temperature of your meat against the recipe and food safety guides. Remember, carry over cooking will occur, so the meat will continue to cook several degrees after taken out of the oven. For a larger roast, start checking your meat about 30 minutes before you expect it to be done; for thinner, smaller cuts, start testing the meat 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time.

To hit the right doneness, aim for the meat temperature given in your recipe, as well as food-safety charts. It's important to remember that meat will continue cooking after it's removed from the heat—this is called carryover cooking.

It's not much of a factor with smaller cuts of meat, like chicken pieces, steaks, and chops, but large, thick roasts of beef, lamb, veal, pork loin, or even large turkey breasts should before removed from the heat when they reach 5 degrees less than their desired doneness temperature.

When should you use a meat thermometer? Meat thermometers come in digital and analog models, in a range of prices: Thermocouples have a very thin tip that can easily poke meats whether the cut is thick or thin.

They are the best thermometers for using on food when cooking in a deep fryer, grill, or other hot-and-fast techniques, so you can get a quick reading without cooking your hands in the process. When probing food from a deep fryer, always remove the food from the oil first and transfer to a safe surface where it won't risk falling back into the vat and causing potential burns.

Digital instant-read thermometers have a quick response time though not as fast as the thermocouples but are more reasonably priced. These are great for grilling, cooking on the stove, or in the oven. Dial thermometers are leave-in thermometers that can often stay in the food while it cooks. Disposable thermometers are single-use thermometers that change color or pop up when food reaches temperature. What's the proper way to use a meat thermometer? Here are a few steps you need to keep in mind: Insert it into the right spot: Make sure to insert the probe into meat, not hitting bone or gristle.

This type of thermometer can remain in the meat while roasting in the oven or cooking on the grill. To use a leave-in meat thermometer: Insert the thermometer at least two inches into the center of the largest muscle or thickest portion of the uncooked meat.

The meat thermometer should not touch any fat, bone, or the pan. That would result in an inaccurate temperature reading. When the meat reaches the desired final temperature as specified in your recipe, push in the thermometer a little farther.

If the temperature drops, continue cooking the meat. If it stays the same, remove the meat from the oven or grill. By using a probe thermometer, you can easily read what temperature your meat is without opening the door and letting heat escape. Most models also have programmable settings that you can set to alert you once your meat is at the desired temperature. Cover meat with foil and let it stand about 15 minutes before carving.

Instant-read meat thermometers are available in both dial and digital varieties. These are inserted into the meat outside of the oven and give an instant reading hence the name. For thinner foods, such as burgers and pork chops , insert the stem through the side of the meat cut to get an accurate reading. The thermometer will register the temperature in 15 to 20 seconds. This type of meat thermometer should not be left in food while it's cooking.

The thermometer should not be left in the food while it's cooking.