vs.
I recently read an article on the best temperatures to prepare meat at and I thought I would pass along what I found. First of all let’s start with USDA guidelines, why are they in place? The USDA set up it’s guidelines in order to protect consumers. What are they protecting you from? Oh, such lovely pathogens as E. coli and salmonella. Safety experts suggest you follow the USDA guidelines especially when preparing meats for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone who has a weakened immune system. Chefs and other industry professionals suggest lower temperatures when cooking for healthy adults. Poultry is the one meat that everyone agrees on. So let’s take a look at the USDA numbers vs. professional kitchen numbers. (Keep in mind these numbers are prior to allowing the meat to rest, the meat will carryover cook for a while and the temperature will go up by 5 to 10°.)
You can click on the image below to get a better view of the table or you can click on the pdf link below to get a printable version.
Here’s a chart to help you the next time you make a meal. If you have adobe, you can print this PDF version of this chart for your kitchen. If you don’t have adobe, then you can download it for free by following this link.