The steaks are high when it comes to cooking meat. From preparation to serving and everything in between, it is important to practice safe handling. One of the many ways to encourage safe meat handling is checking the internal temperatures of the food before removing it from the heat source. Safe cooking temperatures vary from meat to meat. Looks can be deceiving, and while they may appear “cooked” on the exterior, the interior could require more time.
When cooking meat, it is crucial to have two things handy: a food thermometer and this chart. If your oven comes equipped with a built-in probe thermometer, you’re already one step ahead of the game. A food thermometer is stuck into the thickest part of the food and communicates the internal temperature. Are you wondering if your chicken is done? Check the reading and cross-reference the temperature with this chart to determine whether your food is ready to be served or needs a little more time cooking.
Recommended Cooked Meat Temperatures
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a list of minimum internal temperatures meat should be cooked to before removing it from the heat source:
| Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb Steaks, chops, roasts | 145 °F (rest for at least 3 minutes) |
| Ground Meats | 160 °F |
| Ground Poultry | 165 °F |
| Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked) | 145 °F (rest for at least 3 minutes) |
| Fully Cooked Ham (to reheat) | Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140 °F and all others to 165 °F |
| All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, and stuffing) | 165 °F |
The internal temperatures may be higher as a personal preference. For example, if you like your steak to be prepared well, the internal temperature would be 160°F (Certified Angus Beef).
Meat Your Helping Hand
There is no better feeling than having a helping hand in the kitchen. The built-in precision probe thermometer in the Sharp Convection Oven lets you know what is happening inside so you can worry about what’s happening on the outside. The temperature probe monitors the internal food temperature, which is frequently used as an indicator of doneness, especially for meats and poultry, and turns off the oven when the internal food temperature reaches the programmed temperature.
Using the probe thermometer is easy: insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat, place the food in the oven, enter the oven temperature, and press START! Enter the desired internal food temperature for the meat you are cooking by pressing the numbers on the keypad, and then press START. Worried about overcooking your London Broil? When the set probe temperature is reached, the oven will automatically turn off.
What is your favorite meat to cook in your Sharp Convection Oven? With so many tasty recipes, like Prime Rib, Spiral Ham, and London Broil, it’s hard for us to choose just one! Share with us using #SharpHome on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
