| 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.
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.
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.