Helping You Understand - Food Temperatures

Cooking and Keeping Food at the Right Temperature

Whole Poultry; 165F/82C (duck is the exception, as it can be served rare)

Ground Poultry; 165F/82C

Pork Product; 160F/71C

Ground Meat (aside from poultry); 160F/71C

Large Cuts of Meat; 158F/70C

Small Cuts of Meat; 145F/63C​

Fish; 158F/70C

 

Reheated Foods (you can reheat the same meal up to two times); 165F/82C

Food Mixtures (i.e. soup, stew, casseroles, pastas); 165F/82C

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Hot Holding; 140F/60C​

Frozen Holding; 0F/-18C

Cold Holding; 40F/4C

Temperature Danger Zone (bacteria thrives in these temperatures); 41F – 139F / 4C – 60C

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Steak Temperatures

Rare – 130F/56C

Medium Rare – 145F/63C

Medium – 160F/71C

Well Done – 170F/77C

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Tip:

to test the doneness of your steak, compare it to your hand by touching your fingers to your thumb and feeling how firm the ball of your hand is; you can then feel the firmness of your steak to see if it matches your desired steak preference.

forefinger to thumb: rare

middle finger to thumb: medium rare

ring finger to thumb: medium

pinky to thumb: well done