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Don't even start to cook beef – until you're familiar with these temperatures

Here's what happens to all cuts of beef at different temperatures.

Every cut of beef – no matter how tough or how tender – will react in exactly the same way to each of these temperatures.

RAW 0-40°C
Meat is deep red – it's generally squishy, chewy and full of moisture.

26-38°C
Calpain enzymes in beef become active and provide a significant ageing effect on the meat. Because this enzyme activity increases up to 38°C the slower the cooking the more the ageing effect takes place. Holding the meat at 40°C for a couple of hours can work. But... 40°C is the ideal temperature for bacteria to multiply. So, before you hold meat at 40°C for extended periods you need to sear well or blanch it, to get rid of any bacteria.  

BLUE 40-49°C
Red meat turns progressively from cool red to pink – it also begins to slowly tenderise and become more firm.

50°C
Cathepsain enzymes which provide a significant ageing effect on beef reach optimal activity. But can also introduce off-flavours. So don't hold meat at 50°C for too long. 

RARE 50°C
Meat begins to turn warm pink and opaque. It also begins to “firm up”. It's in the early stages of “juiciness” and when sliced the juices flow freely. Cook only very lean cuts, like fillet, to rare.

50°C
Water loss 2% – from raw

50°C
Collagen begins to denature and firm up the meat.

50°C plus
Meat begins to move from rare to medium-rare and develops a white opacity.

52–60°C
Collagen starts to contract and slowly forces water out of the meat. If heated slowly, the collagen gets time to relax a little, so it won't shrink so tightly.
 

MEDIUM RARE 55°C
Meat turns to dark pink – it has a firmer bite but is still tender and juicy.

55°C
Water loss 4% – from raw
Collagen begins to soften
55-60°C
Beef fat begins to melt (render)
57°C
Meat is still pink but has lost almost three times more juices than a rare steak. Coarsely textured cuts which are neither tender nor tough (like Hanger, Bavette and Flatiron) become firm and juicy at this stage. 
Below 60°C
The meat is tenderising more quickly than it's contracting – which means minimal water loss. Holding the meat below 60°C allows you to tenderise it and still keep it juicy.
 

MEDIUM 60°C
Meat turns to a greyish light pink. This is an important tipping point. The meat suddenly releases lots of juice, shrinks noticeably and becomes chewy.

60°C
Water loss 6% – from raw

60°C
Collagen begins to break down and shrink. And, as it shrinks it squeezes moisture from the meat.

60-74°C
Beef loses water at an accelerating rate as the collagen shrinks.

     
MEDIUM WELL DONE 63°C
Meat is greyish with a hint of pink and has lost nearly six times as much juice as a rare steak. The meat has developed a distinctly grainy texture.

65°C
Water loss 12% – from raw

65°C
Braised beef begins to fall apart – texturally it's like a cross between a braise and a grilled steak.

65°C
Meat begins to dry out even more quickly than it did at 60°C.

 

WELL DONE 68°C plus
The meat is greyish brown with little or no pink – and starts to dry out much faster. It has now lost nine times more of its juices than a steak cooked to rare.

69°C
Braised beef starts to break down more quickly but isn't yet at the shreddable – or at the “falling off the bone” stage. The beef has lost most of it's moisture and the collagen is well on it's way to becoming gelatine.

70°C
Water loss 18% – from raw.
70-75°C
Beef turns completely grey (because it can no longer hold oxygen)


COMPLETELY COOKED 72°C

72°C
Collagen starts to melt and turn into gelatine. The collagen continues to melt rapidly up to 82C.

74°C
Braised beef begins to fall apart and most of the collagen has melted. The texture is similar to a traditional braise.

74°C
Water loss slows to a trickle.

74°C
Bacteria and pathogens in meat are killed in seconds.
82°C
Braised beef falls off the bone and shreds easily at the touch of a fork.
82-93°C
Collagen is fully dissolved and converted to gelatine. At this point, the meat is dry, and has lost most of its moisture. But, it's lubricated by the gelatine which makes it taste soft and tender.
100°C
The muscle fibres in meat shrink again and expel more moisture. The proteins denature and coagulate which further toughens and dries out the meat.
In a dry oven, any water in meat begins to evaporate. The pressure caused by the evaporation obliterates the meat, and any juices left in it disappear.
.

MAILLARD REACTION 140-165°C

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction that happens when foods that contain amino acids and reducing sugars are heated to specific temperatures. It enhances the appearance, flavour and aroma of the food. Especially meat.
 
The reaction takes place in three distinct stages:
 

122-140°C – First stage

Food starts to heat up and its proteins and sugars begin to break down. 

140-165°C – Second stage

The broken-down sugars and proteins react with each other to create new compounds which brown the food - and enhance its flavour.

165°C plus – Third stage

The larger molecules break down into smaller, more complex, molecules. These new molecules create a whole new raft of – umami like – flavours and aromas. These can add nutty, roasted, or even smoky flavours to the food, as well as aromas of coffee, chocolate, and caramel.


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