Using a meat thermometer is a helpful way to make sure your pricey steak or Thanksgiving turkey doesn’t come out a dry, tough mess. It ensures you’re cooking food to a safe temperature, which is especially important when you're cooking poultry; undercooked chicken can cause illnesses including Salmonella. Show
How does a meat thermometer work? Simply: Most have a probe that's inserted into the food and a readout that shows the internal temperature. “I rely on meat thermometers to avoid
over- or undercooking my food,” says Nicole Papantoniou, director of the
Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab. When should you use a meat thermometer?You may think of a meat thermometer solely as the tool to use when making a roast in the oven, but it can also help you with barbecue on the grill or fried chicken in the deep fryer. (Though when probing food from a deep fryer, always remove the food from the oil first and transfer to a safe surface where it won't risk falling back into the vat and causing potential burns.) More From Good HousekeepingAs far as when you should insert a thermometer in the cooking process, "it should be toward the end of cooking," says Papantoniou. "If you're using a recipe, start checking about 10 minutes before the cook time
expires." What type of meat thermometer is best?The best meat thermometers, whether digital or analog models, are fast and accurate and have a thin enough probe to not damage the meat. But they fall into two general categories: Instant-read thermometers These come in an assortment of styles and are inserted near the end of cooking to check the internal temperature in one or more places on the meat.
Leave-in thermometersThese are inserted before cooking and left in place in the oven or on the grill; they track the internal temperature over the cook time, generally in the thickest part of the meat.
What's the proper way to use a meat thermometer?Here are a few steps you need to keep in mind: 1. Insert it into the right spot: Make sure to insert the probe into meat, not hitting bone or gristle. The USDA provides info on
where to place the food thermometer to help you pick the right spot for each kind of food and to make sure you
reach a safe temperature. For starters: 2. Get it to the right depth: Thermocouples only need to reach ¼-inch deep to get a reading, which is what makes them better for thin cuts of meat, like cutlets. Digital instant-read thermometers go in to about ½-inch deep. Dial thermometers go deep, two inches to 2½ inches, so they are better for thick cuts of meat and large roasts like ham, pork shoulder and turkey. 3. Don’t wait until the food hits temperature: Carryover heat is your kitchen assistant; take the food off the heat before it reaches the target internal temperature, about five to 10 degrees lower, then let it rest for at least 10 minutes. “This will allow the steak to very gently finish cooking and prevent all of its juices from running out and drying out the meat,” says Papantoniou. "It also makes for less messy carving.” To that end, don’t keep poking the thermometer into the meat, which will drain out the juices. Do you need to calibrate a meat thermometer?Only if you know your thermometer is off. If you suspect it is, test your meat thermometer by holding it in a glass of ice water for 30 seconds (1 to 2 minutes if it’s a dial thermometer) without touching the sides or bottom. If it reads 32ºF, it’s working correctly. If not, you can adjust it using the manufacturer's instructions, or just factor in the difference when you’re cooking. Mercedes Cardona is a New York-based journalist and a former Assistant Business Editor of the Associated Press. Her writing has appeared in publications including USA Today, Nation’s Restaurant News, Essence, The Huffington Post, and many others. This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Where do I put a meat thermometer chicken?The best place to insert a probe into a whole chicken is deep into the breast. Using the length of the probe, measure three quarters along the breast, marking on the probe with your fingers. Keeping your fingers marked on the probe, insert the probe through the front of the breast. Avoid touching any bones.
How far do you stick a meat thermometer in chicken?For roasts, steaks, and thick chops, insert the thermometer into the center at the thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle. For whole poultry (such as turkey or chicken), insert the thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast but not touching bone.
How do you cook chicken with a meat thermometer?Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the bird, like a thigh or under a breast. Avoid inserting it into fat, bone, or gristle. If the temperature reads 165ºF, it's fully cooked and safe to eat. 2.
Where should you place the thermometer stem when checking the temperature of a chicken breast?Insert stem at least 2 inches into the thickest part of the food without touching fat or bone. The temperature should register in about 15 to 20 seconds. Insert sideways into thin foods like hamburgers and chicken breasts.
Where do you place a thermometer in a breast?Taking the Temperature
To get a proper measurement, place the probe of the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the breast. If you have reached bone you have pushed too far. It's best to insert the thermometer from the front, so it travels parallel to the bone.
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