Pork/beef burger 150F temp?

[dragnlaw]

We lived in Mahtomedi on White Bear Lake, a small town outside the skirts of the twin cities. At least it was, now when I go to google maps it is completely absorbed as a suburb.

 

[Stupeflip]

I've always been told that, unless you grind the meat yourself, you need to cook burgers to at least 160F to kill e coli.

I recently saw an episode of Cooks Country (America's test kitchen) where the hosts said that you can cook pork burgers to 150F and beef burgers to 155F and you'll be fine (when using pre-ground pork/pre-ground beef.) They didn't mention any carry over cooking, but I know the temp will probably will go up 2-3 degrees.

This surprised me, and I'm interested to know if I've been taught incorrect information of the mantra of "160F for all burgers."

That's a great question — I’ve also always heard the “160°F rule” for ground beef, especially when it’s store-bought. I think the USDA still officially recommends 160°F to be safe, mainly because ground meat has more surface area and risk of contamination.


That said, I’ve noticed more chefs and food science sources (like ATK, Serious Eats, etc.) say that 155°F is safe if you trust your meat source and don’t undercook it too fast. Pasteurization isn’t just about temperature, it’s also about time — 155°F for a minute or so can still kill harmful bacteria.


Personally, I still aim for 158–160°F when cooking for others, just to be safe. But for myself, I’m a bit more flexible depending on the grind and freshness.

 

[jcarlos]

That's a great question — I’ve also always heard the “160°F rule” for ground beef, especially when it’s store-bought. I think the USDA still officially recommends 160°F to be safe, mainly because ground meat has more surface area and risk of contamination.


That said, I’ve noticed more chefs and food science sources (like ATK, Serious Eats, etc.) say that 155°F is safe if you trust your meat source and don’t undercook it too fast. Pasteurization isn’t just about temperature, it’s also about time — 155°F for a minute or so can still kill harmful bacteria.


Personally, I still aim for 158–160°F when cooking for others, just to be safe. But for myself, I’m a bit more flexible depending on the grind and freshness.

160 if you want to be perfectly said, but I cook slowly to 150 and it has been fine. I am careful about where I get the beef though.