What is the lowest temperature possible (of water) to cook meat in? The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InWhat causes water to boil over?How do I control the temperature of water for an extended period of time?How should I control the time and temperature when baking two dishes?What is the lowest possible temperature for stewing meat?When is Slow Cooking done - time vs temperature of meatCan I boil water to temperature lower than 100 Celsius / 212 Fahrenheit to make a tea?Boiling Chicken Breast (or any meat) before cooking to cook evenlyWhat is the best way to cook chicken for enchiladas?Why cook stewing meat low and slow?Cooking beef goulash in a slow cooker with a temperature controller, what temperature?

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What is the lowest temperature possible (of water) to cook meat in?



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InWhat causes water to boil over?How do I control the temperature of water for an extended period of time?How should I control the time and temperature when baking two dishes?What is the lowest possible temperature for stewing meat?When is Slow Cooking done - time vs temperature of meatCan I boil water to temperature lower than 100 Celsius / 212 Fahrenheit to make a tea?Boiling Chicken Breast (or any meat) before cooking to cook evenlyWhat is the best way to cook chicken for enchiladas?Why cook stewing meat low and slow?Cooking beef goulash in a slow cooker with a temperature controller, what temperature?



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1















Say I want to cook a piece of meat by putting it in water and bringing the water to a certain temperature. (In celsius please) how low can the temperature be for it to be still able to cook the meat? Does it need a boil, or can it be done with say 40 degrees celsius? And if so, how long does it need to be in the water for it to get done?










share|improve this question




























    1















    Say I want to cook a piece of meat by putting it in water and bringing the water to a certain temperature. (In celsius please) how low can the temperature be for it to be still able to cook the meat? Does it need a boil, or can it be done with say 40 degrees celsius? And if so, how long does it need to be in the water for it to get done?










    share|improve this question
























      1












      1








      1








      Say I want to cook a piece of meat by putting it in water and bringing the water to a certain temperature. (In celsius please) how low can the temperature be for it to be still able to cook the meat? Does it need a boil, or can it be done with say 40 degrees celsius? And if so, how long does it need to be in the water for it to get done?










      share|improve this question














      Say I want to cook a piece of meat by putting it in water and bringing the water to a certain temperature. (In celsius please) how low can the temperature be for it to be still able to cook the meat? Does it need a boil, or can it be done with say 40 degrees celsius? And if so, how long does it need to be in the water for it to get done?







      meat cooking-time boiling






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      share|improve this question











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      share|improve this question










      asked Feb 23 '16 at 22:06









      NoralieNoralie

      176117




      176117




















          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          7














          The answer depends on the type of meat as well as the thickness. There are different things you need to worry about killing in different kinds of meat, and it takes a different amount of time for everything to get hot enough for long enough depending on the thickness.



          Note that you generally don't want to put the meat straight in the water, since you'll lose flavor into the water (unless your goal is to make broth or soup); you'll want to put it in a sealed bag in the water. This method of cooking is called sous vide. (Yes, that means "under vacuum", but you don't actually need vacuum-sealed bags; airtight with most of the air removed will suffice.)



          The best single resource I know for this is Douglas Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking". There are tables for fish/shellfish, poultry, and beef, pork and lamb, as well as a lot of other great information. To give you a rough idea, the temperatures in the tables go down to around 55C, and at that temperature, the times cover a huge range, from 2 hours for thin (5mm) beef, pork, or lamb, to 9.25 hours for thick (70mm) fatty fish.



          That 55C is the lowest safe temperature I know of. The government-published pasteurization time tables don't go below that. It's possible lower temperatures can work too, but you'd have to start digging into published papers.



          Note that there may also be thickness/size bounds. Those tables only go up to 70mm so that's all I'm confident about. It's possible you can go even thicker, but I don't think you can go on forever. Eventually things will be sufficiently thick that the amount of time spent at too-low temperature in the center of the meat before it's totally heated up can't be compensated for by time holding it at a higher temperature once it's fully heated. This would be especially true if you try to cook anything that's not totally solid, since there's more contamination on surfaces than inside meat. For example, cooking a whole chicken like this doesn't sound like a great idea.






          share|improve this answer

























          • Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

            – Noralie
            Feb 24 '16 at 11:06











          • @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

            – Cascabel
            Feb 24 '16 at 11:23











          • There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

            – Escoce
            Feb 24 '16 at 17:04






          • 3





            @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

            – Cascabel
            Feb 24 '16 at 17:27






          • 1





            Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

            – Joe
            Feb 24 '16 at 18:03


















          4














          The primary concern here is cooking the food at a temperature that is above that of which bacteria can grow, and doing so for long enough to reduce the bacteria levels significantly (typically, at least a millionfold reduction in bacteria count).



          From Doug Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking":




          Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)




          Thus, 55°C is a good baseline; 54°C might be okay (though Bacillus Cereus may grow a bit above that), but it would take a very long time at 54°C. Even 54.4°C takes a very long time:




          in a 130°F (54.4°C) water bath (the lowest temperature I recommend for cooking sous vide) it’ll take you about 2½ hours to reduce E. coli to a safe level in a 1 inch (25 mm) thick hamburger patty and holding a hamburger patty at 130°F (54.4°C) for 2½ hours is inconceivable with traditional cooking methods – which is why the “danger zone” conceived for traditional cooking methods doesn’t start at 130°F (54.4°C).




          At the more common 60°C, it takes much less time:




          FSIS (2005) recommends a 6.5 decimal reduction of Salmonella in beef, so the coldest part should be at least 140°F (60°C) for at least 6.5D_60^6.0 = 35.6 minutes.




          A common sense rule without having to look up your specific meat would be to cook to 60°C for an hour and a half; this covers you for all meat types and for up to 25mm thick pieces. Of course, if you prefer a lower temperature and/or thicker pieces of meat, look it up.




          Note that it is possible to cook meat at a lower temperature; however, below 54.4°C it may not be pasteurized (meaning, the bacteria may not have been reduced to a safe level). Steaks are often cooked sous-vide at 50-52°C for those who enjoy bloody steaks, and when sourced from a reputable butcher, for example. However, in addition to being aware of the risks of doing so, it is important to ensure the meat is not cooked at that temperature for very long (more than about an hour), as it is actively encouraging bacterial growth.




          Additionally, in responding to the comment on the other answer; as it would be inherently unethical to cook a living animal at these temperatures (which likely would eventually kill it, but would be incredibly cruel), I don't think there is an equivalent temperature guide. Certainly crab and lobster are commonly cooked by dropping a live animal into the boiling water; equally certainly, water slightly under boiling would still kill them, though at what point it becomes 'cruel' is up to the reader to determine (as many would argue that even boiling water is still cruel).



          Also, most animals should not be cooked whole (without the guts/etc. removed); even aside from the issue of tissue density, the guts often contain pathogens.






          share|improve this answer
































            0














            I think u are looking for the same question I am. How long can u keep a body in a hottub at 104F before your muscles start cooking!
            Live meat. 40C same thing.





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              3 Answers
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              3 Answers
              3






              active

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              active

              oldest

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              active

              oldest

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              7














              The answer depends on the type of meat as well as the thickness. There are different things you need to worry about killing in different kinds of meat, and it takes a different amount of time for everything to get hot enough for long enough depending on the thickness.



              Note that you generally don't want to put the meat straight in the water, since you'll lose flavor into the water (unless your goal is to make broth or soup); you'll want to put it in a sealed bag in the water. This method of cooking is called sous vide. (Yes, that means "under vacuum", but you don't actually need vacuum-sealed bags; airtight with most of the air removed will suffice.)



              The best single resource I know for this is Douglas Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking". There are tables for fish/shellfish, poultry, and beef, pork and lamb, as well as a lot of other great information. To give you a rough idea, the temperatures in the tables go down to around 55C, and at that temperature, the times cover a huge range, from 2 hours for thin (5mm) beef, pork, or lamb, to 9.25 hours for thick (70mm) fatty fish.



              That 55C is the lowest safe temperature I know of. The government-published pasteurization time tables don't go below that. It's possible lower temperatures can work too, but you'd have to start digging into published papers.



              Note that there may also be thickness/size bounds. Those tables only go up to 70mm so that's all I'm confident about. It's possible you can go even thicker, but I don't think you can go on forever. Eventually things will be sufficiently thick that the amount of time spent at too-low temperature in the center of the meat before it's totally heated up can't be compensated for by time holding it at a higher temperature once it's fully heated. This would be especially true if you try to cook anything that's not totally solid, since there's more contamination on surfaces than inside meat. For example, cooking a whole chicken like this doesn't sound like a great idea.






              share|improve this answer

























              • Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

                – Noralie
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:06











              • @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:23











              • There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

                – Escoce
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:04






              • 3





                @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:27






              • 1





                Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

                – Joe
                Feb 24 '16 at 18:03















              7














              The answer depends on the type of meat as well as the thickness. There are different things you need to worry about killing in different kinds of meat, and it takes a different amount of time for everything to get hot enough for long enough depending on the thickness.



              Note that you generally don't want to put the meat straight in the water, since you'll lose flavor into the water (unless your goal is to make broth or soup); you'll want to put it in a sealed bag in the water. This method of cooking is called sous vide. (Yes, that means "under vacuum", but you don't actually need vacuum-sealed bags; airtight with most of the air removed will suffice.)



              The best single resource I know for this is Douglas Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking". There are tables for fish/shellfish, poultry, and beef, pork and lamb, as well as a lot of other great information. To give you a rough idea, the temperatures in the tables go down to around 55C, and at that temperature, the times cover a huge range, from 2 hours for thin (5mm) beef, pork, or lamb, to 9.25 hours for thick (70mm) fatty fish.



              That 55C is the lowest safe temperature I know of. The government-published pasteurization time tables don't go below that. It's possible lower temperatures can work too, but you'd have to start digging into published papers.



              Note that there may also be thickness/size bounds. Those tables only go up to 70mm so that's all I'm confident about. It's possible you can go even thicker, but I don't think you can go on forever. Eventually things will be sufficiently thick that the amount of time spent at too-low temperature in the center of the meat before it's totally heated up can't be compensated for by time holding it at a higher temperature once it's fully heated. This would be especially true if you try to cook anything that's not totally solid, since there's more contamination on surfaces than inside meat. For example, cooking a whole chicken like this doesn't sound like a great idea.






              share|improve this answer

























              • Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

                – Noralie
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:06











              • @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:23











              • There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

                – Escoce
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:04






              • 3





                @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:27






              • 1





                Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

                – Joe
                Feb 24 '16 at 18:03













              7












              7








              7







              The answer depends on the type of meat as well as the thickness. There are different things you need to worry about killing in different kinds of meat, and it takes a different amount of time for everything to get hot enough for long enough depending on the thickness.



              Note that you generally don't want to put the meat straight in the water, since you'll lose flavor into the water (unless your goal is to make broth or soup); you'll want to put it in a sealed bag in the water. This method of cooking is called sous vide. (Yes, that means "under vacuum", but you don't actually need vacuum-sealed bags; airtight with most of the air removed will suffice.)



              The best single resource I know for this is Douglas Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking". There are tables for fish/shellfish, poultry, and beef, pork and lamb, as well as a lot of other great information. To give you a rough idea, the temperatures in the tables go down to around 55C, and at that temperature, the times cover a huge range, from 2 hours for thin (5mm) beef, pork, or lamb, to 9.25 hours for thick (70mm) fatty fish.



              That 55C is the lowest safe temperature I know of. The government-published pasteurization time tables don't go below that. It's possible lower temperatures can work too, but you'd have to start digging into published papers.



              Note that there may also be thickness/size bounds. Those tables only go up to 70mm so that's all I'm confident about. It's possible you can go even thicker, but I don't think you can go on forever. Eventually things will be sufficiently thick that the amount of time spent at too-low temperature in the center of the meat before it's totally heated up can't be compensated for by time holding it at a higher temperature once it's fully heated. This would be especially true if you try to cook anything that's not totally solid, since there's more contamination on surfaces than inside meat. For example, cooking a whole chicken like this doesn't sound like a great idea.






              share|improve this answer















              The answer depends on the type of meat as well as the thickness. There are different things you need to worry about killing in different kinds of meat, and it takes a different amount of time for everything to get hot enough for long enough depending on the thickness.



              Note that you generally don't want to put the meat straight in the water, since you'll lose flavor into the water (unless your goal is to make broth or soup); you'll want to put it in a sealed bag in the water. This method of cooking is called sous vide. (Yes, that means "under vacuum", but you don't actually need vacuum-sealed bags; airtight with most of the air removed will suffice.)



              The best single resource I know for this is Douglas Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking". There are tables for fish/shellfish, poultry, and beef, pork and lamb, as well as a lot of other great information. To give you a rough idea, the temperatures in the tables go down to around 55C, and at that temperature, the times cover a huge range, from 2 hours for thin (5mm) beef, pork, or lamb, to 9.25 hours for thick (70mm) fatty fish.



              That 55C is the lowest safe temperature I know of. The government-published pasteurization time tables don't go below that. It's possible lower temperatures can work too, but you'd have to start digging into published papers.



              Note that there may also be thickness/size bounds. Those tables only go up to 70mm so that's all I'm confident about. It's possible you can go even thicker, but I don't think you can go on forever. Eventually things will be sufficiently thick that the amount of time spent at too-low temperature in the center of the meat before it's totally heated up can't be compensated for by time holding it at a higher temperature once it's fully heated. This would be especially true if you try to cook anything that's not totally solid, since there's more contamination on surfaces than inside meat. For example, cooking a whole chicken like this doesn't sound like a great idea.







              share|improve this answer














              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer








              edited Feb 25 '16 at 13:02

























              answered Feb 23 '16 at 22:13









              CascabelCascabel

              52.8k16148268




              52.8k16148268












              • Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

                – Noralie
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:06











              • @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:23











              • There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

                – Escoce
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:04






              • 3





                @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:27






              • 1





                Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

                – Joe
                Feb 24 '16 at 18:03

















              • Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

                – Noralie
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:06











              • @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 11:23











              • There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

                – Escoce
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:04






              • 3





                @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

                – Cascabel
                Feb 24 '16 at 17:27






              • 1





                Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

                – Joe
                Feb 24 '16 at 18:03
















              Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

              – Noralie
              Feb 24 '16 at 11:06





              Okay, add a tiny subquestion (and to say that this part is for a story I am writing, I am not actually going to do this myself) is it the same when the meat is still alive?

              – Noralie
              Feb 24 '16 at 11:06













              @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

              – Cascabel
              Feb 24 '16 at 11:23





              @Noralie Honestly I have no idea. I think the issue would be more whether it's safe to cook the animal in question entirely whole (e.g. including the contents of its digestive system?) but that's not really my area of expertise.

              – Cascabel
              Feb 24 '16 at 11:23













              There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

              – Escoce
              Feb 24 '16 at 17:04





              There is also the issue of how long will it take to cook through to the center? It may cause an unsafe condition to cook food to low in temp because the food may be in the hazardous zone for too long.

              – Escoce
              Feb 24 '16 at 17:04




              3




              3





              @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

              – Cascabel
              Feb 24 '16 at 17:27





              @Escoce What I described in the answer is safe. As far as I understand, it does take time for the center to reach the same temperature as the water outside, but it's still safe - everything is held at the temperature sufficiently long to kill things. It's not as black and white as the usual safe cooking temperature plus danger zone, where the temperature is supposed to make things safes instantly, and too long at lower temperatures is bad; in this kind of situation, the extra time makes up for the lower temperature.

              – Cascabel
              Feb 24 '16 at 17:27




              1




              1





              Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

              – Joe
              Feb 24 '16 at 18:03





              Effectively, you're pasteurizing the meat at these temperatures. It might not meet all of the definitions of 'cook'. (sort of like how ceviche is 'cooked' in acid).

              – Joe
              Feb 24 '16 at 18:03













              4














              The primary concern here is cooking the food at a temperature that is above that of which bacteria can grow, and doing so for long enough to reduce the bacteria levels significantly (typically, at least a millionfold reduction in bacteria count).



              From Doug Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking":




              Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)




              Thus, 55°C is a good baseline; 54°C might be okay (though Bacillus Cereus may grow a bit above that), but it would take a very long time at 54°C. Even 54.4°C takes a very long time:




              in a 130°F (54.4°C) water bath (the lowest temperature I recommend for cooking sous vide) it’ll take you about 2½ hours to reduce E. coli to a safe level in a 1 inch (25 mm) thick hamburger patty and holding a hamburger patty at 130°F (54.4°C) for 2½ hours is inconceivable with traditional cooking methods – which is why the “danger zone” conceived for traditional cooking methods doesn’t start at 130°F (54.4°C).




              At the more common 60°C, it takes much less time:




              FSIS (2005) recommends a 6.5 decimal reduction of Salmonella in beef, so the coldest part should be at least 140°F (60°C) for at least 6.5D_60^6.0 = 35.6 minutes.




              A common sense rule without having to look up your specific meat would be to cook to 60°C for an hour and a half; this covers you for all meat types and for up to 25mm thick pieces. Of course, if you prefer a lower temperature and/or thicker pieces of meat, look it up.




              Note that it is possible to cook meat at a lower temperature; however, below 54.4°C it may not be pasteurized (meaning, the bacteria may not have been reduced to a safe level). Steaks are often cooked sous-vide at 50-52°C for those who enjoy bloody steaks, and when sourced from a reputable butcher, for example. However, in addition to being aware of the risks of doing so, it is important to ensure the meat is not cooked at that temperature for very long (more than about an hour), as it is actively encouraging bacterial growth.




              Additionally, in responding to the comment on the other answer; as it would be inherently unethical to cook a living animal at these temperatures (which likely would eventually kill it, but would be incredibly cruel), I don't think there is an equivalent temperature guide. Certainly crab and lobster are commonly cooked by dropping a live animal into the boiling water; equally certainly, water slightly under boiling would still kill them, though at what point it becomes 'cruel' is up to the reader to determine (as many would argue that even boiling water is still cruel).



              Also, most animals should not be cooked whole (without the guts/etc. removed); even aside from the issue of tissue density, the guts often contain pathogens.






              share|improve this answer





























                4














                The primary concern here is cooking the food at a temperature that is above that of which bacteria can grow, and doing so for long enough to reduce the bacteria levels significantly (typically, at least a millionfold reduction in bacteria count).



                From Doug Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking":




                Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)




                Thus, 55°C is a good baseline; 54°C might be okay (though Bacillus Cereus may grow a bit above that), but it would take a very long time at 54°C. Even 54.4°C takes a very long time:




                in a 130°F (54.4°C) water bath (the lowest temperature I recommend for cooking sous vide) it’ll take you about 2½ hours to reduce E. coli to a safe level in a 1 inch (25 mm) thick hamburger patty and holding a hamburger patty at 130°F (54.4°C) for 2½ hours is inconceivable with traditional cooking methods – which is why the “danger zone” conceived for traditional cooking methods doesn’t start at 130°F (54.4°C).




                At the more common 60°C, it takes much less time:




                FSIS (2005) recommends a 6.5 decimal reduction of Salmonella in beef, so the coldest part should be at least 140°F (60°C) for at least 6.5D_60^6.0 = 35.6 minutes.




                A common sense rule without having to look up your specific meat would be to cook to 60°C for an hour and a half; this covers you for all meat types and for up to 25mm thick pieces. Of course, if you prefer a lower temperature and/or thicker pieces of meat, look it up.




                Note that it is possible to cook meat at a lower temperature; however, below 54.4°C it may not be pasteurized (meaning, the bacteria may not have been reduced to a safe level). Steaks are often cooked sous-vide at 50-52°C for those who enjoy bloody steaks, and when sourced from a reputable butcher, for example. However, in addition to being aware of the risks of doing so, it is important to ensure the meat is not cooked at that temperature for very long (more than about an hour), as it is actively encouraging bacterial growth.




                Additionally, in responding to the comment on the other answer; as it would be inherently unethical to cook a living animal at these temperatures (which likely would eventually kill it, but would be incredibly cruel), I don't think there is an equivalent temperature guide. Certainly crab and lobster are commonly cooked by dropping a live animal into the boiling water; equally certainly, water slightly under boiling would still kill them, though at what point it becomes 'cruel' is up to the reader to determine (as many would argue that even boiling water is still cruel).



                Also, most animals should not be cooked whole (without the guts/etc. removed); even aside from the issue of tissue density, the guts often contain pathogens.






                share|improve this answer



























                  4












                  4








                  4







                  The primary concern here is cooking the food at a temperature that is above that of which bacteria can grow, and doing so for long enough to reduce the bacteria levels significantly (typically, at least a millionfold reduction in bacteria count).



                  From Doug Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking":




                  Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)




                  Thus, 55°C is a good baseline; 54°C might be okay (though Bacillus Cereus may grow a bit above that), but it would take a very long time at 54°C. Even 54.4°C takes a very long time:




                  in a 130°F (54.4°C) water bath (the lowest temperature I recommend for cooking sous vide) it’ll take you about 2½ hours to reduce E. coli to a safe level in a 1 inch (25 mm) thick hamburger patty and holding a hamburger patty at 130°F (54.4°C) for 2½ hours is inconceivable with traditional cooking methods – which is why the “danger zone” conceived for traditional cooking methods doesn’t start at 130°F (54.4°C).




                  At the more common 60°C, it takes much less time:




                  FSIS (2005) recommends a 6.5 decimal reduction of Salmonella in beef, so the coldest part should be at least 140°F (60°C) for at least 6.5D_60^6.0 = 35.6 minutes.




                  A common sense rule without having to look up your specific meat would be to cook to 60°C for an hour and a half; this covers you for all meat types and for up to 25mm thick pieces. Of course, if you prefer a lower temperature and/or thicker pieces of meat, look it up.




                  Note that it is possible to cook meat at a lower temperature; however, below 54.4°C it may not be pasteurized (meaning, the bacteria may not have been reduced to a safe level). Steaks are often cooked sous-vide at 50-52°C for those who enjoy bloody steaks, and when sourced from a reputable butcher, for example. However, in addition to being aware of the risks of doing so, it is important to ensure the meat is not cooked at that temperature for very long (more than about an hour), as it is actively encouraging bacterial growth.




                  Additionally, in responding to the comment on the other answer; as it would be inherently unethical to cook a living animal at these temperatures (which likely would eventually kill it, but would be incredibly cruel), I don't think there is an equivalent temperature guide. Certainly crab and lobster are commonly cooked by dropping a live animal into the boiling water; equally certainly, water slightly under boiling would still kill them, though at what point it becomes 'cruel' is up to the reader to determine (as many would argue that even boiling water is still cruel).



                  Also, most animals should not be cooked whole (without the guts/etc. removed); even aside from the issue of tissue density, the guts often contain pathogens.






                  share|improve this answer















                  The primary concern here is cooking the food at a temperature that is above that of which bacteria can grow, and doing so for long enough to reduce the bacteria levels significantly (typically, at least a millionfold reduction in bacteria count).



                  From Doug Baldwin's "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking":




                  Most food pathogens stop growing by 122°F (50°C), but the common food pathogen Clostridium perfringens can grow at up to 126.1°F (52.3°C). So in sous vide cooking, you usually cook at 130°F (54.4°C) or higher. (You could cook your food at slightly lower temperatures, but it would take you a lot longer to kill the food pathogens.)




                  Thus, 55°C is a good baseline; 54°C might be okay (though Bacillus Cereus may grow a bit above that), but it would take a very long time at 54°C. Even 54.4°C takes a very long time:




                  in a 130°F (54.4°C) water bath (the lowest temperature I recommend for cooking sous vide) it’ll take you about 2½ hours to reduce E. coli to a safe level in a 1 inch (25 mm) thick hamburger patty and holding a hamburger patty at 130°F (54.4°C) for 2½ hours is inconceivable with traditional cooking methods – which is why the “danger zone” conceived for traditional cooking methods doesn’t start at 130°F (54.4°C).




                  At the more common 60°C, it takes much less time:




                  FSIS (2005) recommends a 6.5 decimal reduction of Salmonella in beef, so the coldest part should be at least 140°F (60°C) for at least 6.5D_60^6.0 = 35.6 minutes.




                  A common sense rule without having to look up your specific meat would be to cook to 60°C for an hour and a half; this covers you for all meat types and for up to 25mm thick pieces. Of course, if you prefer a lower temperature and/or thicker pieces of meat, look it up.




                  Note that it is possible to cook meat at a lower temperature; however, below 54.4°C it may not be pasteurized (meaning, the bacteria may not have been reduced to a safe level). Steaks are often cooked sous-vide at 50-52°C for those who enjoy bloody steaks, and when sourced from a reputable butcher, for example. However, in addition to being aware of the risks of doing so, it is important to ensure the meat is not cooked at that temperature for very long (more than about an hour), as it is actively encouraging bacterial growth.




                  Additionally, in responding to the comment on the other answer; as it would be inherently unethical to cook a living animal at these temperatures (which likely would eventually kill it, but would be incredibly cruel), I don't think there is an equivalent temperature guide. Certainly crab and lobster are commonly cooked by dropping a live animal into the boiling water; equally certainly, water slightly under boiling would still kill them, though at what point it becomes 'cruel' is up to the reader to determine (as many would argue that even boiling water is still cruel).



                  Also, most animals should not be cooked whole (without the guts/etc. removed); even aside from the issue of tissue density, the guts often contain pathogens.







                  share|improve this answer














                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited Feb 24 '16 at 21:01

























                  answered Feb 24 '16 at 20:40









                  Joe MJoe M

                  3,14011423




                  3,14011423





















                      0














                      I think u are looking for the same question I am. How long can u keep a body in a hottub at 104F before your muscles start cooking!
                      Live meat. 40C same thing.





                      share








                      New contributor




                      Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                      Check out our Code of Conduct.
























                        0














                        I think u are looking for the same question I am. How long can u keep a body in a hottub at 104F before your muscles start cooking!
                        Live meat. 40C same thing.





                        share








                        New contributor




                        Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                        Check out our Code of Conduct.






















                          0












                          0








                          0







                          I think u are looking for the same question I am. How long can u keep a body in a hottub at 104F before your muscles start cooking!
                          Live meat. 40C same thing.





                          share








                          New contributor




                          Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.










                          I think u are looking for the same question I am. How long can u keep a body in a hottub at 104F before your muscles start cooking!
                          Live meat. 40C same thing.






                          share








                          New contributor




                          Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.








                          share


                          share






                          New contributor




                          Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.









                          answered 6 mins ago









                          LorraineLorraine

                          1




                          1




                          New contributor




                          Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.





                          New contributor





                          Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.






                          Lorraine is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                          Check out our Code of Conduct.



























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