Cooking Times for Meat

Knowing the proper cooking time for meat pork beef turkey chicken and ham is a necessity. Having food cooked correctly is important for savour and safety. 

If you are like me then you may have found yourself confused on the cooking time for a specific cut of meat you want to cook for a meal. Meats often do not come with directions on the package so knowing how to prepare it can sometimes be a bit of a mystery. Ovens also vary in temperature by a few degrees but that is okay, a few minutes off in either direction will usually not harm your meat preparation too greatly. It is important to know the correct temperature and time for cooking the roast pork, beef, turkey, chicken, ham, or lamb that you are wanting to prepare.

Fortunately there are basic guidelines to help out with the cooking times for oven roasted meats and these standard temperature gauges usually work pretty well to insure that dinner comes out of the oven fully cooked and not burned to a crisp. Most meats require a preheated oven of 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit which equals out to about 163 to 180 degrees Celsius. Lamb is the exception to this rule as it is often slow roasted at 250 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit - 121 to 163 degrees Celsius.

Cooking time for roast turkey varies by the birds weight. For a bird that is under 18 pounds cook your bird for about 15 to 20 minutes per pound or 30 to 45 minutes per kilogram. For a turkey that is over 18 pounds cook your bird for about 15 minutes per pound or about 30 minutes per kilogram. A 10 to 18 pound turkey should take between 3 to 4 1/2 hours to cook. An 18 to 24 pound bird should take between 4 to 5 1/2 hours to cook. A 24 to 30 pound bird should take between 4 1/2 hours and 6 1/2 hours to cook.

Cooking time for roast chicken: For a bird that is about 2 - 3 pounds (1 - 1.5kg) cooking time will be 25 minutes per pound or 30 minutes per 500 grams. For a chicken that is about 3 to 6 pounds (1.5 - 3kg) cooking time will be about 20 minutes per pound or 25 minutes per 500 grams.
Cooking a Turkey for the First Time?

Cooking time for pork as with most meats requires a preheated oven 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit which equals out at 163 to 180 degrees Celsius. Roast pork (bone in) cooking time is about 25 minutes per pound or 15 minutes per kilogram. Roast pork (boneless) cooking time is about 30 minutes per pound or 30 to 35 minutes per kilogram. Pork should always be fully cooked.

Ham varies greatly in fat content and pre-preparation so cooking times for ham can also vary quite substantially. A precooked ham will require less cooking than raw ham. A precooked ham's cooking time is about 18 minutes per pound or 40 minutes per kilogram. An uncooked ham's cooking time is about 25 minutes per pound or about 60 minutes per kilogram.

Cooking times for beef like most meat require a preheated oven 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit - 163 to 180 degrees Celsius. Rare beef roast cooking time is about 18 minutes per pound or 25 - 28 minutes per kilogram. Medium beef roast cooking time is about 20 minutes per pound or 40 to 50 minutes per kilogram. Well done roast beef cooking time is about 25 minutes per pound or 50 to 60 minutes per kilogram.

Cooking time for roast lamb: Roast lamb (bone in) cooking time is about 15 minutes per pound or 40 minutes per kilogram. Roast lamb (boneless) cooking time is about 20 minutes per pound or about 50 minutes per kilogram.
Classic Greek Slow Lamb Roast

It is Important to Keep Your Kitchen Safe

* Keep at least two cutting boards in your kitchen area. Use one to prepare meats and the other to prepare vegetables. Never use the same cutting board for both of these food groups.

* Clean the cutting boards thoroughly after each use. Wood cutting boards can be cleaned with hot water, salt, and lemon. Plastic boards can be washed in the dishwasher. Glass and marble cutting boards can be cleaned with hot soapy water and bleach.

* Never refrigerate your chicken and turkey with the dressing remaining in them. Always remove stuffing from your bird as soon as possible after cooking. The internal temperature of stuffing within a bird can keep your meat warm for many hours even after the leftovers are put in the fridge to cool. Always refrigerate your meat as soon as possible after cooking to prevent bacteria from developing. Play safe in the kitchen.
 
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