Cooking Temperatures

[flyinglentris]

For me, temperature isn't everything, but its a big part of doing things so as to achieve great results.

I was rather amused to find that on the internet, temperature is more a concern for safety, than achieving good results. They seek to ensure that things are fully cooked to the extent that there's no chance of exposing yourself to some sort of bacterial or viral food poisoning. Further, the concern about cooking temperatures is typically only applied to meats. Oh how long ago it was that I learned that if you don't want greasy pommes frites, you first run up the temperature of the oil before splashing the fries and it helps to let them thaw first, especially considering that mixing water with hot cooking oil is the best way to start a kitchen fire.

I am curious to hear from members of this forum, who may include professional chefs, their take on appropriate cooking temperatures for various items, meats as well as non-meat. Certainly, I would think that most restaurateurs would be sensible about serving meats rare only if the customer asked for it to avoid in these days, litigation. That's sensible, but surely, customers sometimes prefer their steaks rare, blood rare to boot.

I feel temperature is very important to achieving desired results ... even shifting temperatures during the process, as necessary. Simmering, reducing, boiling, broiling, etc., etc. all require some attention to applied heat.

What are your experiences?

 

[epicuric]

Fascinating subject! Generally, most risk from bacterial problems are on the surface, so rare meat or fish are not a problem. Exceptions are where unpleasant things lurk within, like in chicken for instance. Or when processing transfers the risk to the inside, like burgers.
Another aspect is how different temperatures affect the outcome of the same piece of food.
I really hope that you will develop this thread @flyinglentris

 

[CraigC]

Achieving desired results, IMO, also requires technique as much as the temperature. As an example, in the "Outdoor Cooking and BBQs" forum, I have described a method for reverse searing a rib-eye steak on a BGE.
https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/reverse-seared-rib-eye.11511/#post-105224

Most beef roasts can be done to achieve a rare center by using a two temperature method. You preheat the oven to 500F, while it is heating you season your roast and place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook the roast at 500F for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200F and cook for 1 hour per pound.

When I use my offset smoker for pulled pork, I set the smoker to 225F and cook the butt/shoulder to an internal temperature of 198F to 205F, wrap it in foil, place it in an empty cooler wrapped in a kitchen towel until I'm ready to pull it. If I want sliced pork, I'll take it off the smoker at an internal temperature of 190F. Trying to use time as a factor is useless as there will probably be a "stall" at 160F, caused by moisture coming to the surface of the meat and cooling it down.

Stir frying on the stove/hob is basically useless for the home cook, as even with gas you can't generate enough BTUs to achieve "Wok Hei".

There are so many combinations of temperature and technique that a discussion could carry on for weeks, if not longer.

 

[flyinglentris]

Generally, most risk from bacterial problems are on the surface,

Hmmm. I wonder how one catches botulism from eggs?

 

[flyinglentris]

Cook the roast at 500F for 5 minutes,

I appreciate that you stated temps and times and explained why.

 

[flyinglentris]

I really hope that you will develop this thread

That's kind of up to the forum members, isn't it?

Let's throw something more at it. I read a sidebar on the web that describes temps for different meats and oddly, they recommend a higher temp for reheating leftovers. ??? That, I don't get at all. Is that to kill germs in the leftovers? ??? This seems to suggest a cooking paranoia.

 

[Morning Glory]

I feel temperature is very important to achieving desired results ... even shifting temperatures during the process, as necessary. Simmering, reducing, boiling, broiling, etc., etc. all require some attention to applied heat.

This has got me really thinking. I consider myself a good cook but I rarely think about temperature. This may be because I don't cook a meat as much as others here.

I read a sidebar on the web that describes temps for different meats and oddly, they recommend a higher temp for reheating leftovers. ??? That, I don't get at all. Is that to kill germs in the leftovers? ??? This seems to suggest a cooking paranoia.

I think that is (as you say) all about killing germs!

 

[Yorky]

I cook food until it's "done" to my liking. Other than my deep fry (which is temperature controlled) I have no idea of the temperature of the food during or after cooking.

[Edit: the slow cooker is also temperature controlled]

[Edit 2: and the halogen is temperature controlled]

 

[CraigC]

This chicken thigh recipe is a good example of a temperature and technique combination. At a glance, many would steer away thinking the thighs would be terribly over cooked. The result yields probably the crispiest skin I've ever had.

https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/perfect-pan-roasted-chicken-thighs.11700/

 

[Morning Glory]

I've just made some squid ink tuiles (first time I've tried it) - the method stated heating the oil to a very specific temperature in the frying pan before adding the tuile mix. As I don't have anything to measure the temperature I had to do it by trial and error. The first one didn't cook through properly so I tweaked up the heat and it worked fine. So - I suppose that is what I normally do - tweak and use instincts!

 

[Francesca]

@morning glory

Very inventive ..

 

[Francesca]

@flyinglentris

Gas or electric, national, city ministry of agricultural suggested laws for restaurants, and the product itself must be considered here .. The European countries do not have the same agricultural, food, hunting or fishing laws as abroad .. Each of the 27 countries of the E.U. have completely different laws in each of the countries ..

In the Mediterranean (Spain, France and Italy ) it is an oddity to eat beef or venison or lamb well done = Brown interior (shoe leather) ..

It is seared or grilled on flame .. what we call "a la brasa a punto" and this means rare .. Roasts are roasted or baked in oven and same applies ..

Porc and chicken or game birds are roasted or cooked through to tender and they are White meats so they must be done on the interior without being what is called " well done " as in beef .. Just cooked on the interior ..

Most butchers here, advise their customers the temperatures and in restaurants surely they use meat thermometers and / or are experienced to know when a bird is done or porc (a large farming production) ..

Diseases and hygiene are a source of health issues, for example, not wearing gloves or washing hands after handling chicken or porc ..

We are enormous fresh wild shellfish eaters in Spain, and there are relatively no issues with this .. The fish is not frozen at burial of ice levels, however, placed on ice and covered lightly with ice continually on the fishing boats or live in ice wáter with crushed ice as in shellfish or lobsters ..

 

[flyinglentris]

This has got me really thinking. I consider myself a good cook but I rarely think about temperature. This may be because I don't cook a meat as much as others here.

I too, rarely think about temperature any more, unless I screw something up. I note after reading some responses here that most folks don't. I go from experience and knowledge. But I also give some things consideration, if I'm after a certain effect.

As I don't have anything to measure the temperature I had to do it by trial and error. The first one didn't cook through properly so I tweaked up the heat and it worked fine. So - I suppose that is what I normally do - tweak and use instincts!

Here again, we all use our experience and yes, trial and error. I do not own a meat thermometer.

Most butchers here, advise their customers the temperaturas and in restaurants surely they use meat thermometers and / or are experienced to know when a bird is done or porc (a large farming production) ..

As I said, I don't own a meat thermometer. I know from experience and knowledge most temps and times.

 

[Morning Glory]

Porc and chicken or game birds are roasted or cooked through to tender and they are White meats so they must be done on the interior without being what is called " well done " as in beef .. Just cooked on the interior ..

An exception is pigeon - pigeon breasts cooked properly are pink inside (and totally delicious!)

 

[flyinglentris]

This chicken thigh recipe is a good example of a temperature and technique combination. At a glance, many would steer away thinking the thighs would be terribly over cooked. The result yields probably the crispiest skin I've ever had.

Chicken is a nice example of a need to retain juicy tenderness while also producing a crisp and not oily/greasy skin/breading. This takes a little savvy with regard to temps and timing. And these can differ depending upon the way you cook, bake, broil, roast, fry or otherwise produce your final result.

To get extra juicy and crispy chicken, I like to broast chicken. For those unfamiliar, broasting uses a pressure cooker with oil, raised to a somewhat high temperature with the lid off to get the oil heated. Then after putting in the chicken, seal the lid and raise the temperature a bit higher. It doesn't take long after that. Then reduce the heat back down and bleed off the pressure. Remove the chicken. Be careful you don't get spattered.

For beef and other meats, I like the searing technique. The idea is to achieve a result where the meat is fully cooked, juicy and grayish internally and crisp externally. When cut, you can drag your knife across the internal meat and it will bleed a red juice. The meat itself will not be rare red or pinkish. That's perfect and very delicious. To sear, I usually marinate in olive oil or some other kind for a night. An open grill is best I have found. The heat should be hot enough to do the searing and you can test by poking to see if it bleeds appropriately before removing. When testing something like oven roasted chicken, duck, goose, pheasant or turkey, you also poke, but in those cases you are 'feeling' to see if the fork or other implement comes out easy instead of being grabbed by not yet fully cooked internal meat. If some juice comes out, it can't be used to say that the poultry is fully cooked, only the nice easy slip out of the probe.