Preparing food
Several factors affect the safety of the food we cook. The cooking method, how the food is handled, and the internal temperature of meat after cooking are particularly important. To learn the basic rules of food preparation, click on the link:
Cooking meat
- Meat must reach a minimum internal temperature for safe consumption. Consult the table of recommended temperatures below, published by the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec.
- To measure the internal temperature, insert a cooking thermometer into the middle of the piece of meat, avoiding any bones or fat.
- Wash the thermometer after each use.
Recommended internal temperatures after cooking
| Beef, veal, lamb | ||
|
Steak, roast, tenderized or not | 63°C | Rare |
| 70°C | Medium | |
| 77°C | Well done | |
| Pork | ||
|
Roast, chops | 70°C | Pink |
|
Cooking ham | 77°C | Well done |
|
Fresh sausages | 70°C | |
| Poultry: chicken, turkey, pheasant, guinea hen, quail, goose, and duck | ||
| Whole | 82°C | The juices are clear, the meat is tender, and the legs pull off easily. |
|
Cut: breast, legs, or wings | 77°C | |
| Ground | 74°C | |
| Game | ||
| Raised: venison, rabbit, boar, etc. | 70°C | |
| Wild: hare, caribou, etc. | 77°C | |
| Ratite | ||
| 70°C | Medium | |
| Ground meat | ||
| All ground meat (except poultry) | 70°C | The meat is well done in the centre and the juices are clear. |
| Fish | ||
| Whole or pieces | 63°C | The fish is even in colour, opaque, and flakes easily. |
| Thinly sliced | 68°C | The fish is even in colour, opaque, and flakes easily. |
| Egg | ||
| Whole or as a main ingredient in dishes | 70°C | The white and yolk are firm. |
| Stuffing | ||
| Stuffings, stuffed meat and pasta | 74°C |
Sources :
Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, [en ligne],http://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/consommation/guideconsommateur/preparation/Pages/preparation.aspx (consulté le 09/09/2015).
Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, [en ligne],http://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Consommation/guideconsommateur/preparation/Pages/cuisson.aspx#Temperature (consulté le 10/09/2015).