Guidelines for Proper Cooking

Most people think they know when food is "done" just by "eyeballing it." They look at it and trust their experience. Experience is good, but it sometimes can be misleading. For instance, cooking by color is definitely misleading. Meat color - pink or brown - can fool you!

I. Use a Thermometer

Do you know when your hamburger is cooked sufficiently? Like many people, do you assume it is cooked because it's brown? According the USDA, one out of every four hamburgers actually turns brown in the middle before it has reached a safe internal temperature!

To protect yourself and your family, use a food thermometer to make sure your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria. Thermometers today come in all shapes and sizes, including instant-reads, microwave oven probes, and pop-ups. Even barbecue forks are available with built-in thermometers! According to the experts, digital thermometers are ideal for checking thin foods, while large-dial thermometers are meant for use with larger roasts, whole chickens, and turkeys.

Thermometers should be placed in the thickest area of the meat, but not in fat or near bone. Make sure to choose and use the thermometer that is right for you and know when your food is really done and safe to eat.

II. Tips for Using a Microwave Oven

Microwave ovens play an important role in our busy lives. Unfortunately, they can sometimes cook food unevenly, leaving cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive. Special care must be taken when cooking or reheating foods in microwaves to ensure the foods are prepared safely. Below are some tips for preventing foodborne illness when using your microwave.

Cooking with a Microwave

If your microwave does not come with a carousel, be sure to rotate the food. Also, stir the food occasionally during the cooking process, which will eliminate cold spots and improve heat distribution.
To retain surface moisture, cover food with a lid or plastic wrap. Make sure you always loosen or vent the lid or wrap to let steam escape. (The moist heat will help destroy harmful bacteria and ensure uniform cooking.)
Stir or rotate food midway through the microwaving time to eliminate cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive and for more even cooking.
Allow food to stand covered in the microwave for an additional two minutes to stabilize the temperature.
Do not cook large cuts of meat on high power (100%). Large cuts of meat should be cooked on medium power (50%) for longer periods. This allows heat to reach the center without overcooking outer areas.
Do not partially cook food in the microwave then save it for later. Food that has been partially cooked in a microwave should be transferred to another heat source, such as a barbecue grill or a conventional oven, immediately.
Use your food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to safe temperatures!
When defrosting in the microwave, make sure to remove food from the original packaging. (Note: Many of the foam or plastic trays and wraps are not heat stable and may melt at the high temperatures produced by microwaves.)

Microwave Reheating Tips

Cover foods with a lid (vented) or a microwave-safe plastic wrap to hold in moisture and provide safe, even heating.
After reheating foods in the microwave oven, allow standing time. Then, use a clean food thermometer to check that food has reached 165 °F.

Choosing the Right Microwave Container

Only use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the microwave oven. Glass, ceramic containers, and all plastics should be labeled for microwave oven use.
Never use plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers for cooking or reheating food in your microwave. These containers are not heat resistant and can melt, possibly leaching harmful chemicals into your food.
Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Never use thin plastic storage bags, brown paper or plastic grocery bags, or aluminum foil in the microwave.

III. Cooking and Reheating Foods

The chart below contains the recommended internal temperature to which various meat products should be cooked and/or reheated. Cooking foods to the proper temperature can kill many harmful bacteria.

Food Type	Recommended Internal Temperature
Fresh beef (well done) Fresh pork (well done)	170 degrees F
Poultry (chicken, turkey) Leftover meats Stuffing Ground meats (chicken, turkey)	165 degrees F
Ground meats (beef, pork, veal, ham) Pork, roast beef (medium) Ham (fresh) Eggs	160 degrees F
Roast beef (rare) Fish	145 degrees F