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Newbie Thermapen with hamburgers question

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lsutiger
lsutiger Posts: 4
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hi all.

I've had my large Egg for about a week and I'm still trying to learn how best to use it. I just got a new Thermapen and I put some burgers on last night at 500 direct. Seared both sides pretty well then took the temp with the Thermapen. Wife and niece wanted well done burgers and 2 of mine were showing 200 degrees internal so I pulled them off. Went to cut them in half and they were still very pink.

I've read that 160 is the safe internal temp for ground meat so I assumed this would be well done. Is this not the case? What did I do wrong?

Thanks.
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Comments

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    i dont like to use a thermapen on burgers, but when you take the temp reading you need to insert the probe at a very very low angle because its too easy with them to insert it too deep and your getting a reading of the other side
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
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    i would check you temp of the thermopen, boil some water and see if it reads 212F. maybe you poked the pen to far thru the burger and it was reading the heat on the bottom side of the burger and the direct heat from the lump. after time you will not need a thermopen to do your burgers. and yes beef is well done at 160. 200 is overdone and there should have been no pink in the burger at that temp.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    pink in the middle, or pink on the exterior only? a lot of people see the pink smoke ring and think the meat is undercooked. it can't be undercooked on the exterior and fully cooked internally. that pink is the smoke ring.

    if the interior were truly pink, then you didn't take the temp right. tip must be in the center.

    155 will be 160-165 on the plate. that is 'well' done ('poorly' done, in my book, but that's just one man's unsolicited opinion).

    200 is a briquette. you simply tested the exterior of the meat, which will easily hit 200, while the interior was still pink. that, or you mistokk the pink smoke ring for 'under done'.

    hang in there. this may seem confusing at first, but it will seem obvious in not very much time.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • lsutiger
    lsutiger Posts: 4
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    Thanks everyone for the SUPER fast replies. Amazing.

    The pink was in the center so like all of you suggested I probably did not have the probe in the center. This was the first time I've ever used a therm on the grill so I probably went too deep. Ill test the calibration of the Thermapen too.

    I ended up putting the burgers back on the grill for a few more minutes and they still came out great. I'll keep practicing with the Thermapen. I just wanted to make sure that 160 should mean no pink.

    Thanks.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    160 will be a lovely shade of grey. :laugh:
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • EgginTiger
    EgginTiger Posts: 101
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    I love my burgers pink, what would be the ideal temp for a nice pick burger??
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    140 more or less.

    it's much safer when you grind your own, but i don't know anyone that ever got sick from a medium rare burger in a restaurant or from supermarket-ground beef
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • EgginTiger
    EgginTiger Posts: 101
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    Guess I better purchase a Thermapen, I totally dislike well done burgers, pink is my fave color :) and I'll leave the meat grinding to my B/F :P
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  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
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    If you ever watch America's Test Kitchen (TV Version of Cooks Illustrated), they use the thermapen and for thin cuts, the stick in the probe, horizontally, from the edge.
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  • lsutiger
    lsutiger Posts: 4
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    Horizontal makes a lot of sense. Will make it much easier to hit the center. I'll try that next time.
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  • BigBadger
    BigBadger Posts: 461
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    I absolutely love my Thermapen. I use it for many more things than I ever thought I would. It works so wonderfully quick on things like Candy/caramel, bread and even meat.

    There are several WRONG ways to use it too. Poking it in too far is a biggie, and then there's the (local) Costco Sample People method that..... well, it's hard to fathom they can be this daft.

    These guys take the food off the heat, then look for and find their slow tiny metal thermometer, then after the food has been sitting on the cutting board for about a minute poke the thermometer into the 1/4" thick piece of whatever and wait... and wait :unsure: ... and wait.... NOPE not hot enough, back on the skillet and wait... and wait.... OMG it's painful to watch :blink: ... finally after a while they started serving what turned out to be lamb. Disgusting samples of un-seasoned, grey lamb :sick::sick: .... one piece at a time....
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  • jurisdoc
    jurisdoc Posts: 77
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    On thin cuts of meat, I try to check the temp by inserting the thermapen from the side. Too easy to go too far or not far enough from the top.
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  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
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    just make your burger thicker!!! :cheer: :cheer:
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