Meat reference

Meat internal temperatures

By Amos Chiam

A thermometer tells you what the meat is doing now. A clock only tells you how long one version of the setup has been cooking.

Read the target

Use Celsius first

Kitchen Constants presents internal temperatures in Celsius first, with Fahrenheit alongside it. Choose the chef target for the texture you want, then keep the food-safety baseline visible as separate context.

Probe the thickest part: avoid touching bone, the pan, or an empty pocket so the reading represents the food itself.

Allow for movement

Resting is part of the finish

Large or thick pieces can continue rising after they leave the heat. A short rest also lets juices settle, so the final texture is not judged from the first instant off the pan.

Use time as context: pan, oven, cut, thickness, and starting temperature all change the timing. Internal temperature is the more useful signal.

Open the meat calculator · Read why temperature beats the clock