Temperature
The table below is from an American reference book and pertains to beef and lamb. The interior of a cut of meat will still increase in temperature by after it is removed from an oven or other heat source as the hot exterior continues to warm the comparatively cooler interior. The exception is if the meat has been prepared in a sous-vide process, as it will already be at temperature equilibrium. The temperatures indicated above are the peak temperatures in the cooking process, so the meat should be removed from the heat source when it is a few degrees cooler. The meat should be allowed to "rest" for a suitable amount of time (depending on the size of the cut) before being served. This makes it easier to carve and makes its structure firmer and more resistant to deformation. Its water-holding capacity also increases and less liquid is lost from the meat during carving.Color
As meat is cooked, it turns from red to pink to gray to brown to black (if burnt), and the amount ofDrying
Well done cuts, in addition to being brown, are drier than other cuts and contain few or no juices. Note that searing (cooking the exterior at a high temperature) in no way " seals in the juices", since water evaporates at the same or higher rates as it does in unseared meat. However, searing does play an important role in browning, which is a crucial contributor to flavor and texture.Safety
The United States Department of Agriculture has stated that rare steaks are unsafe to eat. It recommends an internal temperature of at least for cuts of beef, veal, and lamb in order to prevent foodborne illness, and warns that color and texture indicators are not reliable. The same meats should be thoroughly cooked to when ground or tenderized by cutting, since these processes distribute bacteria throughout the meat. Usually, most bacteria do not enter the inside of uncooked meat and remains on the surface. However, proteolytic bacteria are able to dissolve or break down the connective tissue and fibers of the meat and enter the inside. Non-proteolytic bacteria such as ''Escherichia coli'' do not enter inside the meat.See also
*References
Further reading
* * {{Authority control Cooking Meat