Place the thermometer away from fat and bone for the most accurate reading.
2. Place the Thermometer Correctly
For the most accurate reading, place the thermometer into the thickest portion of meat, avoiding fat and bone. You're looking to find the lowest internal temperature—that's the most accurate temperature for the core of the meat. Most thermometers require you to insert the probe at least 1/2 inch into the meat (only 1/8 inch for Thermoworks models), but if the meat is thicker than an inch, you'll probably want to go deeper than that to reach the very center.
If you're using a Thermoworks thermometer, the temperature reading is taken from the very tip of the probe, so watch the read-out as you push the probe into the meat. The temperature should keep dropping as the probe goes into the deepest part of the meat—if you see the temperature starting to rise again, you've gone too far.
Check the temperature of your meat against the recipe and food safety guides. Remember, carry over cooking will occur, so the meat will continue to cook several degrees after taken out of the oven.
3. Check the Meat Temperature Early and Often
For a larger roast, start checking your meat about 30 minutes before you expect it to be done; for thinner, smaller cuts, start testing the meat 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time. To hit the right doneness, aim for the meat temperature given in your recipe, as well as food-safety charts.
