Using a meat thermometer

The last thing that you would want is for a guest of yours to contract Salmonella or E Coli. To make sure that doesn’t happen, you must know that the center of the meat or fish has been adequately cooked. Once you know that the center of fish has achieved 140°F (60°C) and the center of meat 160°F (72°C), then you also know that not only has the center cooked, but that also all the meat surrounding the center is safe (harmful bacteria has been killed).

Using a meat thermometer that probes the interior of meat will let you know when your meat is safe to eat and not under or over cooked. Additionally, by keeping the thermometer inside the meat at a buffet table, you can monitor the meats internal temperature to keep it safe.

In the meanwhile, don’t lose sight of 2 important side points: 1) meat continues to cook internally after being removed from the fire. 2) The rate at which the meat’s surface heats up is faster that the center. Cooking at a lower, but safe temperature for a longer period of time will avoid drying and burning of the meat’s surface.