Why Everyone Should Own A Meat Thermometer, And How To Use It
Have you ever bought a beautiful steak or roast, only to accidentally over or under cook it? Even with the best instructions, there are so many factors that can influence cooking times when it comes to meat. Some of the most common ones include how long the meat has been out of the fridge before going in your oven (the closer to room temperature the more evenly it will cook!), whether your oven has been preheated, fan forced vs. conventional, model of oven, weight of your meat - we could go on!
That said, it doesn’t have to be all guesswork! Enter: the humble meat thermometer. This little champion will change the way you cook meat forever. Perfectly medium rare steak every time? No problem. Want to check if your roast chook or turkey is done without cutting into it and letting those gorgeous juices out? Easy!
There are a few kinds of meat thermometers that you can buy, including instant read, digital and bluetooth to name a few. Cannings stocks a really handy instant read meat thermometer in-store for all your thermometer needs, but any kind will do if you have a different one.
Pop your meat on for roughly as long as you’re expecting it to take to cook, minus a little bit of time (you can usually find guides for this online if you’re not sure). Take your meat off the heat (whether this is the BBQ, pan or oven) and pop your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, ensuring you’re not touching any bone (this can give you a false reading).
For poultry, you’ll want to pop your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding bone, or for a larger roast like turkey, into the thickest part of the breast.
Included with your Cannings meat thermometer is a handy fridge magnet with your target cooking temperatures before and after resting for each protein.
Don’t forget, it’s essential to rest your meat before slicing if you want tender, perfectly cooked meat! Let those delicious juices distribute back through the meat (this will pay off big time so don’t even think about skipping it). You’re looking at approx 5 - 20 mins of resting time depending on how big your piece of meat is.
