Theres nothing like that first bite into a juicy, delicious burger. Sure, the center of the patty is pretty pink. But you order your steaks medium rare all the time. You should be able to safely order a medium rare burger, too, right?
In fact, though burgers and steaks may originate from the same cut of beef, their food safety rules are quite different. And understanding these rules may be the difference in getting sick and not.
The color of cooked ground beef can be quite variable. At 160 °F, a safely cooked patty may look brown, pink, or some variation of brown or pink. When a patty is cooked to 160 °F throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color.
Why is cooking a burger different from cooking a steak?
Germs can be present on food for a number of reasons. Contamination can happen during the food processing and handling process, but germs can also come from the animal or plant itself, according to the CDC.
Whats more, because you cant see or even always smell these germs, theres no way to know if your food is contaminated or not — meaning you should operate under the assumption it is.
Its why youre always supposed to cook meat to a safe internal temperature and thoroughly rinse your fruits and vegetables.
Not all germs cause illness, but meat contaminated with harmful bacteria — including Salmonella, Listeria and certain forms of E. coli — can be dangerous to eat if not properly cooked. And this is especially important for those who are higher risk for foodborne illness, including very young children, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system.
The good news, however, is that its les likely for germs to penetrate through a piece of steaks surface and invade towards its center. In other words, germs typically remain and grow on the surface. Thats why thoroughly cooking the outer layers of steak is usually sufficient to kill any harmful germs that may have initially been present.
If your medium rare steak has been cooked to a minimal internal temperature of 145°F and then allowed to sit for three minutes, its safe even though its center is pink.
Ground beef is a different story, though, since its “surface” is a lot more complicated.
How pink is too pink for a burger?
A properly cooked medium rare steak isnt a concern, but medium rare ground beef is, according to the USDA.
When whole pieces of beef are ground together, any germs on the beefs surface get incorporated into the ground beef mixture — meaning theres potential for germs to be present throughout a burger patty, from the surface to the center.
For this reason, the safest way to eat ground meat is to wait until its cooked all the way through and to its safe minimal internal cooking temperature. In the restaurant world, this typically corresponds to a burger thats considered well done — not a burger thats medium rare.
And its not just ground beef that needs to be cooked this way. Its all ground meat, fowl and fish — turkey, chicken, pork, lamb and salmon included.
From burgers to meatballs to meatloaf, always use a food thermometer to be sure that ground meat is cooked to a safe internal temperature:
- Ground beef, pork, lamb: 160°F
- Ground turkey or chicken: 165°F
- Ground fish: 145°F
And if youre ordering a burger in a restaurant, request well done.
Fully cooked burgers still pink?! Here’s the how and why! #meatscience #shorts
FAQ
Is it OK to eat ground beef if its a little pink?
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