| Species | Target | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Beef (whole muscle) | 52–57°C medium-rare for steaks | Ground beef needs 71°C / 160°F throughout. |
| Pork (whole muscle) | 63°C / 145°F then rest | Modern guidance allows a blush of pink in whole-muscle pork; mince still wants 71°C. |
| Lamb | 54–60°C for chops and roast legs | Same myoglobin logic as beef; shanks and shoulder want long moist heat instead. |
| Chicken / poultry | 74°C / 165°F in the thickest part | No pink standard for safety — thigh meat stays darker even when done. |
| Tuna & firm fish | Raw for sashimi-grade; or 50–55°C for seared | Only eat raw from a trusted cold chain. Seared otoro is about surface heat, not a steak finish. |
Temperatures are guidance for whole-muscle cuts. Ground meat and poultry need 71°C / 160°F throughout.
→Safety & freshness→Our method→FAQ→Temperature and freshness: the cold chain that decides flavour before the pan→Buying at the counter: how to shop meat with eyes, nose and questions→Ground meat and mince: why burgers are not tiny steaks→Myths that cost flavour: washing, room-temp waits, pressing and “sealing juices”→Holiday and crowd cooking: portions, make-ahead and resting large roasts→Salt timing and brines: seasoning as chemistry, not last-second panic→Leftovers and second life: cooling, reheating and transforming cooked meat→Resting and carryover: the heat that keeps cooking after the fire→Pan sear and fond: browning, contact heat and the sauce hiding in the pan→By occasion→By goal→Common questions
Doneness is a colour, not a guess
Drag the slider and the cross-section repaints along the real myoglobin curve. Core temperature and resting time move with it.
Toggle Celsius or Fahrenheit on the doneness gauge.
Myoglobin shifts with oxygen and heat: deep purple-red when deoxygenated, bright cherry when oxygenated, grey-brown once fully cooked. Those three points are this atlas's entire palette — and the shared visual language of the freshness, doneness and ageing pages.