2 Things You May Not Know About Remote Temperature Probes

When cooking with remote thermometers or temperature probes, there are two things you may not know. I learned these things by trial and error and hopefully you can avoid my mistakes.

First, let’s look at some basics.

The basic concept of these probes is to set the target temperature and when the meat or sauce reaches that level an alarm will sound indicating it is properly cooked. Many new higher end ovens have them built in.

These differ from quick read probes in that you leave the probe in the food throughout the cooking process.

This allows one to cook using a better method than the old way of cooking by time.

I use them for roasts, poultry, large steaks, meat loaf and other terrines, making yogurt, and custards.

You set the temperature, high or low. Why two settings? Sometimes you want to measure the temperature as it passes upward past a set target and sometimes as it passes downward through another threshold. Again why? For instance, when making yogurt one needs the milk to reach a temperature of 180F and then place the starter into the milk as it falls into the range of 110F – 118F. So when it reaches the upper end, you remove it from the heat. Then when it falls below 118F, one can add the starter safely.

With meats, you may want the food to be cooked to a safe temperature, but not cool too much during the resting phase.

So having flexibility is a nice feature. Some of these units also can give you the range of temperatures that your oven goes through. What may not be known is that ovens don’t actually burn at an even rate. They actually have cycles which are warmer and cooler. Additionally, newer features like convection and pure or true convection often bake things at a higher temperature than is indicated on the display. Knowing how the oven cycles through these temperature ranges can teach how to best set the controls.

So when one uses these things one needs to set the temperature target.

I recommend you use correct temperature settings not what the USDA recommends.

I found these temps in an issue of Fine Cooking Magazine, Issue 53.

The table goes like this…..

Next, stick the probe into the center of the food to be gauged. And wait for the alarm. When it chimes, the food is ready.

HOWEVER, there are the two things I mentioned earlier.

1.) Poultry can be tricky. Regardless of whether one is cooking chicken, duck or turkey, the breast and thigh portions cook at different rates. So set the probe for 165F and place the probe as close to the breast bone as possible without touching the bone. When this reaches 165F, move the probe to the thickest part of the thigh. I suspect you will see the temperature drop by anywhere from 8 – 12 degrees. It may even be necessary to move it again to the other thigh area to ensure thorough cooking. Once you see the thighs at the correct temperature, you can be assured you have a properly cooked poultry that won’t be dry.

2.) You will want to set the temperature around 5 degrees below your target temperature. Why? As many of you know, when you pull food off or out of the heat source it continues to cook. This is called carryover cooking. Depending on the size and type of meat, there can be 5 degrees of temperature gain after being pulled from the heat. This can be affected by the variable of ambient air temperature. If you have a colder room or it is colder outside, you will see less carryover cooking. Again, use the chart above as a guide and make sure you check multiple areas of the roast for proper even cooking.

If your oven doesn’t have a temperature probe attachment you can buy some of these fine products…

CDN digital probe

Taylor Digital Dual Probe Thermometer

Polder Cooking Thermometer

CDN Touch Screen Probe

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