Using a meat thermometer
Which meat thermometer to use, where to put the probe in steak, chops, chicken, wors and fish, how to check it in ice water, and how to keep it clean.
A thermometer is the only sure way to know that meat is safe and cooked the way you want it. This guide covers the main types, where to put the probe in each kind of braai meat, how to check that it reads true, and how to look after it.
Types of thermometer
- Instant-read digital. You push it in, read it and pull it out. A good one reads in 2 to 5 seconds, cheaper ones in about 10. This is the one to buy first.
- Leave-in probe. A probe on a heat-proof cable, connected to a display that sits outside the fire. It stays in the meat the whole time. Use it for whole chickens, roasts and anything cooked with the lid on, so you do not have to keep lifting it.
- Dial thermometer. The older kind with a needle. It is slow, often 15 to 20 seconds, and needs to go in 5 cm (2 inches) or deeper, so it does not work on thin cuts.
Where to put the probe
The rule for everything: the tip goes into the thickest part, the part that cooks last, and it must not touch bone, fat or gristle. Bone gives a false high reading.
| Meat | Where the tip goes | Safe minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Steak | In from the side, to the centre of the thickest part | 63°C (145°F), then rest 3 minutes |
| Lamb or pork chops | In from the side, into the eye of the meat, away from the bone | 63°C (145°F), then rest 3 minutes |
| Whole chicken | Thickest part of the thigh, near the body but not touching bone. Check the breast too | 74°C (165°F) in both |
| Chicken pieces | Thickest part of each piece, away from the bone | 74°C (165°F) |
| Boerewors and other sausages | In through the cut end, along the length, to the middle | 71°C (160°F) |
| Fish fillets | In from the side into the thickest part | 63°C (145°F) |
| Whole fish | Just behind the head, into the thickest part above the backbone | 63°C (145°F) |
For thin cuts, always go in from the side. If you push straight down into a 2 cm (3/4 inch) chop, the tip ends up near the grid side and reads the surface, not the centre. On a coil of wors, check two or three places.
Slide the probe in, then slowly draw it back. The lowest number you see on the way out is the real reading. The full list of safe temperatures is in safe braai temperatures.
Carryover cooking
Meat keeps cooking after it leaves the fire. A steak or chops can rise 2 to 3°C (4 to 5°F), and a whole chicken or a leg of lamb 3 to 5°C (5 to 10°F).
- For steak and lamb cooked to your taste, take them off a few degrees short of your target and let the rest finish the job.
- For chicken and minced meat, do not count on carryover for safety. Take them off at 74°C (165°F) and 71°C (160°F).
See salting and resting meat for how long each cut should rest.
Checking accuracy in ice water
Thermometers drift. Check yours every few months.
- Fill a tall glass to the top with crushed ice or small cubes.
- Add cold water to just below the top of the ice, stir and wait 2 to 3 minutes.
- Put the probe in at least 5 cm (2 inches) deep, in the middle of the glass, not touching the sides or bottom.
- Wait 30 seconds. It should read 0°C (32°F).
If it reads 1°C (2°F) or more off, recalibrate it if it has a reset button or an adjusting nut. If it cannot be adjusted, remember the difference and add or subtract it each time. Ice water is more reliable than boiling water, which boils below 100°C (212°F) at altitude.
Cleaning and care
- Wash the probe in hot, soapy water before and after each use, and between raw and cooked meat.
- Wipe it with a clean, damp cloth between pieces on the fire.
- Keep the display out of water.
- Do not leave an instant-read thermometer on the grid or in the meat over the coals. The plastic melts.
- Keep a leave-in cable away from flames.
A thermometer is most useful on the meats that are hardest to judge by eye, such as a peri-peri chicken flattie or a thick T-bone steak.