Comment by ddoolin
5 hours ago
What I've really gotten out of this is that I'd like to learn how to use a (proper) meat thermometer when I make steaks.
5 hours ago
What I've really gotten out of this is that I'd like to learn how to use a (proper) meat thermometer when I make steaks.
Since this is HN, here's the maximum technology option: https://combustion.inc/
They have a thermometer with multiple sensors in it that finds the core temperature of the food you're cooking automatically, and predicts the rise in temperature over time. So the alarm goes off when it's time to pull and rest, which is absolutely amazing.
I have one of the Combustion thermometers, and I like it. I used it more than I expected. In particular, I use it for roasting chicken and for sous vide things more than anything else. Then I got a Breville Control Freak, and I used it much less. :)
For maximum techyness, Combustion, Inc. correctly identified that sous vide is normally an overdamped system. If you follow their instructions you can increase the water temp some and then bring it back down in order to move the system closer to critically damped and speed up your sous vide.
I've had a Combustion thermometer since they came out. The best uses for me are butterflied whole chicken on the grill and roasts in the oven. You can get extremely precise results and account for carry over cooking very easily. Huge leap in results.
The funny part is steak is one of the easiest foods to cook without a thermometer
You don’t have to worry about undercooking like you do with most other meats and most steak cuts will be delicious anywhere from 11-130 (if you cook a filet to 130, it won’t be the best but it’ll still be good) and some can go even higher
It’s not like poultry where the range where it’s “good” is very small. A 170 chicken breast is almost inedible and 160 is not safe…
I agree with your broader point but the chicken food safety thing is missing a ton of important nuance. The safety comes from how long you hold the meat at the temp. 165 is the safe point if you are only holding for 10s. 145 is safe if you hold it for 10 minutes.
This is why sous vide is such a popular way to cook chicken. You can hold a breast at 145 for hours trivially.
You can be safe down to 135F if you give it enough time. https://douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html#Poultry_and_Eggs
In particular, I use 135F for 90 minutes (75 minimum recommended) to pasteurize eggs that I am going to be putting into something that asks for "raw" eggs (egg nog, mayonnaise, etc.) that I will serve to other people (if it's just for myself, I'll probably just be lazy and use the raw egg). So far, nobody has noticed any difference from "raw".
They have digital thermometers now that will map out the temperature curve and even predicted when the meat will reach core temp. You really don't need to use them many times before you internalize the behavior.