Whenever cooking burgers, I usually cook to both time and touch. That means I cook until the burgers to what I consider an adequate amount of time and to a firmness is what I associate with a particular level of doneness. This, however, can be dangerous according to some studies. In fact, courtesy of Megan Severs, a Senior Account Executive at GolinHarris; 90% of grillers don’t know that 160° F is the proper temperature according to The Beef Checkoff. Only 15% use a thermometer.
I’ve never used a thermometer but have never had indigestion problems, so I could myself (and my guests) lucky, but here are three tips for proper burger cooking:
- Always cook ground beef to 160 F. This ensures ground beef isn’t under- or over-cooked, and any harmful bacteria is destroyed.
- Stop eyeballing the doneness of your burgers. Rather than relying on colors or juices, get an instant-read meat thermometer, which gives an accurate temperature reading much quicker than an
oven-proof meat thermometer. - Use your instant-read meat thermometer properly. Always insert the meat thermometer sideways into the thickest portion of the patty to ensure it has reached 160 F. And to make sure you get an accurate reading, hand wash the thermometer instead of using the dishwasher.
Reading this definitely makes me want to invest in a red meat thermometer. I need to get one before I make burgers for the 4th of July!