General Guidelines
It is important to remember that after a cut of beef is removed from the heat source, the internal temperature will continue to rise. Although thin beef cuts, such as steaks, are usually served within a short period of time after removal from the grill, pan or broiler, thicker cuts like roasts benefit from a “resting” period of at least 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size, before slicing and serving.
The resting period allows the juices to re-distribute and allows the internal temperature to rise because of residual heat. Its internal temperature will rise 2°C to 5°C while resting and this allows the meat to be removed from the heat source when the internal temperature is lower than the desired doneness.
We recommend the use of a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat to ensure proper doneness.
For steaks which are to be cooked rare, medium rare or medium, we recommend that the steaks be removed from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. However make sure the steaks are still wrapped in its packaging so no bacteria is added to the meat.
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Cooked
(Doneness)
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Internal Temperature
(After resting period)
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Description
|
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Very rare
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48 – 52°C (118 – 125°F)
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Blood-red meat, soft, very juicy
|
|
Rare
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52 – 54°C (125 – 130°F)
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Red center, gray surface, soft, juicy
|
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Medium rare
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54 – 60°C (130 – 140°F)
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Red center, gray-brown surface, often remains juicy
|
|
Medium
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60 – 66°C (140 – 150°F)
|
Pink throughout, becomes gray-brown towards surface
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Medium well
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66 – 72°C (150 – 160°F)
|
Thin line of pink, firm texture.
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Well done
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>72°C (>160°F)
|
Gray-brown throughout, tough texture and dry.
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