Doneness
Doneness is how far food — usually meat — is cooked, judged by internal temperature, not time. Time is only a guess; the same steak cooks at different speeds depending on thickness and starting temperature. A thermometer is the only reliable readout.
01How it works
Temperature is repeatable; the clock isn’t
Proteins change in a predictable order as the centre of the meat heats up — that is why an internal temperature gives you the same result every time, and “8 minutes a side” does not. Thickness, starting temperature and pan heat all move the clock; they do not move the physics of the protein.
Then there is carry-over: the centre keeps climbing after the meat leaves the heat, roughly 5°F on a small cut and up to 10°F on a big roast. So you pull early and let it land on target while it rests.
One distinction worth keeping straight: doneness is not the same as safety. Doneness is the texture you want; safe minimums are a separate, non-negotiable floor.
02How to do it right
Read the thickest part, pull early, rest
Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, clear of bone, fat and gristle — those give false readings. For a whole bird, check the thigh, the wing and the breast. Pull about 5°F below target on small cuts, 10°F on large, then rest so carry-over finishes the job.
03Common mistakes
Why it came out over or under
- Cooking by time alone. The same recipe, a thicker steak, a wildly different result.
- Probe in bone or fat. A false-high reading — the meat is rawer than the number says.
- Cooking to the final number on the heat. Carry-over then sails past it. Pull early.
- Confusing your doneness with the safe minimum. They are two different lines; know both.
→Recipes where doneness decides it
