One of the problems I’ve run across as a cook is getting the temperature of meat correct. Here is a good guide for what steak should look like during the various levels of doneness:
Basically, this chart says that steak is…
“very rare” at 130 degrees
rare at 140 degrees
medium rare at 145 degrees
medium at 160 degrees
medium well at 170 degrees, and
well done at 180 degrees.
Myself, I prefer my steaks between medium rare and medium. I can eat a steak that is medium rare, and if it’s a good cut, rare.
It took me a really long time to get fish right, too. Most whitefish should be cooked more than red fish, but not to the point that the flesh is dry. About medium well, when the flesh flakes, is right. Red fish, such as salmon or tuna, should be served rare or medium rare. Once, when I was in a really nice restaurant in Cleveland (Ohio), I ordered salmon. I didn’t know that it wasn’t supposed to be done through, so I sent it back twice before they comped the meal. Oops.
Pork is another one of those really kooky items. Overcook it, and it’s dry. We’ve been led to believe that if we under-cook it, we’ll automatically contract trichinosis. However, trichinosis is very rare in the US, and cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 137-144 degrees should kill the Trichinella larvae (based on the chart above, this is the equivalent of rare, and hardly anyone cooks pork that way). Additionally, freezing may also kill the worm. Knowing that it’s not as scary as we’re led to believe in the 7th grade, I still get really weirded out when my pork isn’t done through. Usually I err on the side of caution, to the point where my meat is overdone. Sometimes I don’t, and I can’t finish my dinner.
Are you the same way? Do you have any tips to share about getting the doneness right?
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