Internal Temperature
This is the key to cooking perfectly.
Each Meat has its own “Perfect” doneness temperature, this allows us to know how well an item is cooked, just by knowing the internal temperature of the food.
Prime cuts work well when cooked to exacting internal temperatures.
Overcooking will mean the meat will expel moisture and become tough and dry
Use the Temperature section of the App to access the Doneness chart for a list of “perfect” internal temperatures for your desired Doneness
Secondary cuts should be cooked to texture, not temperature, how soft to you want the texture?
Do you want to shred it?
Do you still want it to slice?
Temperature will give you a guide to what stage you are at in the process.
The Stall will begin around 66°C (150°F) and this is when most people wrap
I start paying attention at 82°C (180°F) I look at the bark and condition of the meat, assess if I need to keep it wrapped or not.
The Finish temperature will be around 95°C (203°F) but it is texture you are looking for.
Understand the Phases that Meat goes through as it heats
A good Fast Read Temperature Probe is one of the best tools you can have in the kitchen.
A “Leave In” Probe set will allow you to “see” the internal temperature and the Ambient Temperature of the Cooking Chamber on an external screen, on your phone or via a WiFi connection depending on which one you buy.
The moisture loss in meat cooked to 66°C (150°F) is almost double what it is at 49°C (120°F).
This is a result of the protein fibres shrinking and expelling moisture.
