Pork Temperature (2024)

FAQs

Pork Temperature? ›

Cook all raw pork steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

Because of this, the USDA suggests cooking it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the same temperature for every variation of pork you might choose from pork tenderloin to shoulder.

The USDA now recommends cooking pork chops, steaks, ham, and roasts to at least 145°F (63°C), which allows the meat to maintain its moisture and flavor without drying it out (7). Organ meats, ground pork, and mixtures made using ground pork, such as sausage, should still be cooked to at least 160°F (71°C) (7).

Cooking Whole Cuts of Pork: USDA has lowered the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 ºF to 145 ºF with the addition of a three-minute rest time.

Pork should never be served rare. If you have a meat thermometer, push the probe into the meat as close as possible to the centre (avoiding any bones) and leave it for 20 seconds before taking the reading, which should be 65-70C.

Cook all raw ground pork to an internal temperature of 160°F (71.1 °C) as measured with a food thermometer. If fresh pork has reached 145°F (62.8 °C) throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.

Cook all raw pork steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

Be mindful of what kind of loin you're using because your pull times will vary depending on the amount of fat on the loin. Aidells suggests pulling leaner meats off the heat at 135 to 140°F and letting the residual heat carry the internal temp to 145 to 150°F.

The USDA-recommended safe serving temperature for pork ribs is 145 degrees Fahrenheit. But (again) our grilling experts recommend you aim for a hotter temperature to make sure you melt down all the connective tissue into sweet, meaty goodness.

Will pork pull at 175? ›

Cook the meat about 8 to 10 hours or until the internal temperature, using an instant-read thermometer, reaches 165 degrees F for slicing or 175 degrees F for pulling.

Cook beef, pork, veal, and lamb roasts, steaks, and chops to at least 145° F (63° C), with a 3 minute rest time. Cook ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork to at least 160° F (71° C). Cook ground poultry to 165° F (74° C). Cook all poultry to minimal safe internal temperature of 165° F (74° C).

Allow pork butt to rest for as little as 30 minutes to as long as 5 hours; however, the ideal resting period to rest pork butt is between 1 and 2 hours.

Cooking Temperature of Pork

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

Pork can be cooked well by reaching the internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) with a 3-minute resting time. Alternatively, pork can also be cooked to 170°F (74°C) with no resting time. Well-done cooking doneness is often recommended for customers who are immunocompromised.

Pork shoulder might start out as a fatty, tough cut of meat, but cook it low and slow for a few hours and it will be transformed into tender, juicy shreds that fall apart with the touch of your fork.

The USDA recommends that pork is cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (62.8°C) for food safety. But every griller worth their salt knows that cuts rich in collagen, like pork butt, need to be brought to much higher temperatures (195-205°F [91-96°C]) to properly break down the connective tissues.

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined it is just as safe to cook cuts of pork to 145 degrees with a three-minute rest time as it is to cook them to 160 degrees with no rest time.