How to Cook Meat to the Proper Temperature

Some cuts of meat can handle being cooked to a higher temperature, and still be good, but others will become dry and tough if you take them too far. Temperature is a detail that can greatly affect the taste and texture of meat, and shouldn't be overlooked.

A lot of times without even realizing it, people over-cook, or under-cook certain cuts of meat and are missing the temperature range that would yield a juicier, more tender final product.

Chicken

Chicken breast for instance; per the USDA, chicken breast is safe to eat once it hits 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But once you pass that temperature, chicken breast will begin to become more and more dry, and also tougher. I like to pull chicken breast at around 160 degrees, and let it rest for a few minutes. During the resting process, it will likely come up another 5 degrees or so, more or less. The same would likely happen if you pulled it at 165, potentially causing it to become dry. 

Chicken thighs and drumsticks are a very different story though. They’re safe to eat once they hit 165, but will become more tender once you hit 175, and even up to around 195 degrees. You could definitely experiment to see what you like better.

Pork

Pork can be cooked to a lower temperature than chicken. According to USDA guidelines, pork is safe to eat at 145, except for ground products, which should be cooked to 160 degrees. Pork chops, and tenderloin can be pulled at 140 degrees, and left to rest for 3-5 minutes, which should bring it up to the 145 degree target. This will yield a juicy, and delicious pork chop, or pork tenderloin.

Now let's talk about pork butt. Just like with white meat and dark meat chicken, there’s a big difference in target temperature here too. If you pull a pork butt at 145, it will be very tough. Of course when smoking a pork butt, most of us will do a probe test and look for a certain feel, but the ideal temperature will fall between 195 and 203 degrees. In my experience, you’ll get that buttery feel somewhere in that range, but it could be on the higher end with one pork butt, and on the lower end with another.

Lamb

Lamb will need to reach a temperature of 145 degrees, but can be pulled at around 135, and allowed to rest for 3-5 minutes, which should yield a very juicy and tender final product.

Beef

Beef is probably where you will find the most variance in the temperatures at which it is typically served. Below, I’ll list the different temperature ranges for steak doneness:

• Rare - 120-125 (slightly cool, and red)
• Medium rare - 130-135 (warm red center)
• Medium - 140-145 (warm pink center)
• Medium well -  150-155 (slight pinkness, more brown)
• Well done - 160 and up (no pink)

Steaks cooked to the lower temperature ranges will be more juicy, and tender, and will become more firm as you increase temperature and doneness. 

This is something you definitely should experiment with, and find the temperature that better suits your taste. It might be a small thing to some, but I like to put a lot into my cooking, and details like finished temperature can really make a big difference in the outcome of your cook.

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