Using a Meat Thermometer

Everyone know what a meat thermometer looks like...I hope.  Since Thanksgiving and holiday baking will be here before we know it, I thought it would be good to talk about how to use one correctly.  I was fortunate to take a cooking class with my friend Chef Alli thanks to the Kansas Beef Council.

Most people I have watched insert a meat thermometer just enough to get the tip in the steak which is totally wrong.  If you look closely at the probe on your meat thermometer, you will see a dimple.

 

The dimple needs to be inside the meat to get an accurate reading.  This means you need to insert your meat thermometer in the side of a steak.

Hopefully these tips will make your holiday meals memorable for all the right reasons. 

I you need to know the correct temperatures to cook your meat here are charts for Pork, Beef and Poultry.

Are you confused about why different cuts of meat require different temperatures to be done?  My friend over at Mom at the Meat Counter has a great post that explains it with Play Doh.

Check out the rest of my 30 days of Farm Mom Tips and the other farm bloggers joining me.