Internal temp question....

this charts not perfect but it is a good starting point when you get your thermapen. the thermapen ruined burgers for me, i wont use one on a burger. i watch foe the initial cook on the bottom and for juices to start flowing on top, flip and wait for the juice to puddle up un top again, done. you want a burger cooked more and i will kill it for you :laugh:
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/doneness_chart.htm

There are specific reasons why Pulled pork and brisket are taken to those high temps, its not for safety but for texture.

Pork is perfectly safe to eat at 140, but when you get up to 170, you have driven all the moisture out, but the collagen around the muscle fibers begins to break down. keep going to 195 and all of the collagen will break down, releasing its hold on the individual fibers and lubricating them. That's why you can pull the pork and it has that stringy texture. If you tried to pull pork at 140 it would not work.

Cooking to Temp is a good general rule of thumb, but some things just don't lend themselves to having a probe stuck in them very easily. Pizza and chopped veggies come to mind. I also don't cook burgers to Temp either.

My technique for burgers was developed by reading this forum and adapting what I learned here to what worked for me at my geographical altitude, my specific Egg, etc.

Anyway, for a "man-size" burger (about 1" thick or so, not those flimsy "Mickey-D" type burger patties :P ) - I just put it on direct @ about 350 dome & keep it there for 4 minutes, then after 4 minutes, I flip it once & keep it there for another 4 minutes. When I'm going out the 2nd time, I'll take some cheese w/ me & put that on the burgers & then close the dome back down for about 30-40 seconds.

Upon re-opening the dome, the cheese has pretty much melted due to the convective heat all around the grid. :woohoo:

Another thing I learned is to NOT pound your patties too much, as it makes them tough - When I'm forming the meat, I just gently toss it back & forth in my hands until it starts to form the shape of a ball, then I gently start slapping it back & forth in my hands, taking care not to pound it too hard.

Also don't use a spatula to "smush" the patties once they're on the Egg - just put them on there & leave them alone until you flip. Also, put a small "dimple" into the middle of them prior to putting them on the Egg - this helps keep them from "bulging out" & swelling while cooking.

By using techniques like this, I've been able to grill great tasting hamburgers that family & friends say are the best they've ever eaten!! :cheer:

HTH,
Rob