Brown Ground Beef: Is It Done?

If you're part of the grill-it-till-it's-brown crowd, looks could get your gut into serious trouble.

Meats can turn brown well before they've reached a safe internal temperature, especially if they're pale and soft (think pork and ground beef), salted (think marinated), or they have spent a long time in your freezer. Here's how you'll know when meat is done.

Don't Judge by Color
Meat -- especially ground beef -- can look thoroughly cooked even though its internal temperature might not be high enough to kill dangerous foodborne pathogens, such as E. coli. Anything that alters the pH level of meat will affect how quickly it browns, including storage conditions, seasonings, and thawing methods.

Safe Numbers
Use a food thermometer to ensure that your beef, fish, and chicken reach the temperatures set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

• Steaks, roasts, and fish -- 62.8 degrees C (145 degrees F)
• Pork and ground beef -- 71.1 degrees C (160 degrees F)
• Chicken breasts -- 76.7 degrees C (170.1 degrees F)

Read up on consumer food-safety issues.

Does it look cooked? A review of factors that influence cooked meat color. King, N. J., Whyte, R., Journal of Food Science 2006;71(4):R31-R40.