When it comes to cooking ground beef, 165 F means well-done. That means that you should never see any pink in the middle of your burger. That’s right, the days when it was safe to eat a medium-rare hamburger are sadly behind us.
How well should ground beef be cooked?
The FDA Food Code says that restaurants should cook ground beef to 155°F for 15 seconds. But CDC and USDA say that consumers should cook ground beef to 160°F. The guidance for consumers is different because it is simpler to meet one standard (temperature) than two (temperature and time).
Can ground beef be pink in middle?
Because doneness and safety cannot be judged by color, it is very important to use a food thermometer when cooking ground beef. To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked.
Can you eat ground beef not fully cooked?
Yes, it is dangerous to eat raw or undercooked ground beef because it can contain harmful bacteria. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends not eating or tasting raw or undercooked ground beef. To be sure all bacteria are destroyed, cook meat loaf, meatballs, casseroles, and hamburgers to 160 °F.
Is it OK to eat ground beef rare?
According to the food code, ground beef should be cooked at 155 degrees F internally and held there for 15 seconds, or 158 degrees for even a moment, in order to kill pathogens at the center of the meat. Unlike a rare steak, a rare burger is risky because the germs from the outside of the meat have been ground inside.
How do you know when ground beef is fully cooked?
Ground beef cooks quite fast. It doesn’t need more than 5 minutes (depending on the base of your pan and the amount of meat of course). Just take a piece and rip/cut it open. If it’s brown inside, and not red or pink, it’s fully cooked.
How can you tell if ground beef is undercooked?
Go in at an angle in the middle of the cut, wait for a second, and then touch the tester to your wrist. If it’s cold, the meat is raw. If it’s warm—close to your body temperature—then the meat is medium rare. If it’s hot, it’s well done.
What happens if you eat slightly pink ground beef?
Ground beef is safe to eat if it’s still pink even after cooking. BUT, only if it has been cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F which is able to destroy the harmful bacteria. … First, ground meat can remain pink even after being cooked to a safe temperature making it free from any harmful bacteria.
Why is my well done burger still pink?
Small amounts of carbon monoxide can be emitted from inefficient burning of gas flames in gas grills or ovens. This too can combine with the myoglobin in meat, causing it to retain its pink color (though usually just on the surface) even when well cooked.
Is ground beef supposed to be red?
This pigment is normally a dark grayish-purple, but when it comes in contact with oxygen, it becomes oxymyoglobin and turns a deep red color. To get that eye-pleasing coloration, most freshly ground beef is sold in clear packages of oxygen- permeable film. … Coloring can also indicate spoilage.
What should I do if I ate raw ground beef?
If all else fails and you do come down with an unfortunate case of food poisoning from undercooked meat, then stay hydrated, and see a doctor or healthcare provider if your symptoms don’t go away for a few days, or if you develop a fever.
Can you cook ground beef medium?
There are a lot of variables that affect how safe medium-rare ground beef is to eat. That’s because the bacteria that forms on the surface of the meat gets ground up into the inner parts of the meat when it’s processed, and that bacteria gets trapped inside of your burger. … Then, you can safely cook it to medium-rare.
Can undercooked beef make you sick?
Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria found in the soil, poultry, and cattle. Eating large amounts of undercooked steak can cause a listeria infection that manifests itself within 24 hours of ingestion. You may experience body aches, nausea, fever, and watery diarrhea.
Can you eat a burger medium well?
Food safety experts say hamburgers should be cooked to a 160 degrees (f) center temperature for safety reasons. 160 degrees is well done. That doesn’t mean that eating cooked to lower temperatures is necessarily unsafe. I’ve been eating rare burgers for over 50 years and have never once been sickened by them.