What should the internal temperature of a pork roast be

Safe cooking temperatures depend on the kind pork you’re cooking. Here’s how to know when pork is safe - and not overcooked!

Pork that’s still pink in the middle freaks people out. But we have great news: If you’re used to cooking all cuts of pork to 165°F, you don’t have to (over)cook it that high anymore!

Here’s what to know.

At What Temperature is Pork Done?

Here are the current USDA recommendations:

• Pork chops, pork loin, and pork tenderloin: Cook to 145° F (63° C), then rest 3 minutes.  
• Ground pork: Cook to 160° F (71° C). Grinding pork exposes more surface area to bacteria, so it needs to be cooked to a higher temperature than other cuts of pork.

Keep in mind that pork cuts like pork shoulder and ribs have a much better texture and flavor when cooked to 180-195° F. These cuts need higher temperatures to break the collagen down and make them melt-in-your mouth tender. 

But pork loin, pork tenderloin, and pork chops? Those you can—and should—cook to only 145° F.

The Legendary Pork Loin recipe in my book Tasting Ohio comes from no less a pork authority than the Ohio Pork Council. It’s tender and juicy and the best pork loin ever, largely because it’s pulled off the grill at 145° F. Today’s pork is bred to be much leaner, so it’s easier to overcook than it was years ago.

How to Take Pork’s Internal Temp

• Use an instant-read thermometer. Trustworthy models can run under $10 and have a dial (analog) or a digital readout. Often you can pick one up at the grocery store.
• Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the pork. Ensure the thermometer stem doesn’t touch any bones, which can throw off the temperature reading. Leave it there until the temperature holds steady.
• Wash the thermometer thoroughly with hot, soapy water after every use. Do not reuse the thermometer without washing it first, since it can cause cross-contamination. 

What’s Trichinosis, and Do You Need to Worry About It?

In short, nope. Phew!

If a meat lover can name one parasitic infection, it’s trichinosis. It’s contracted when people eat raw or undercooked meat from animals carrying the larvae of Trichinella worms. 

Even though trichinosis has been eradicated in pork for decades, fear about it persists. Why? Well, it’s memorably disgusting—parasitic worms!

How did we stop trichinosis in pork, anyway? Starting in the mid-20th century, producers stopped including raw meat in pigs’ feed.   

Current chances of contracting trichinosis from pork are very low. Between 2011 and 2015, there were 16 trichinosis cases per year on average, and those were mostly from wild game, not pork.

Pink Pork Can Be A-Okay!

Pork is bred much leaner these days, so it dries out at 165° F. Pork chops, pork loin, and pork tenderloin might be a tad pink at 145°F but we promise they’ll be both safe and utterly delicious. 

Everything you need to know to ensure it's just right every time.

Updated on October 14, 2022

Regardless of the cut of pork, the finished cooking temperature should be 145°F for tough and tender pork alike. For an accurate temperature reading when checking for doneness, make sure your meat thermometer is not touching bone, fat, or gristle. It's also imperative to allow the meat to rest for a few minutes. The USDA guidelines say that the meat should rest for at least three minutes as this time allows for the last of any harmful bacteria to be killed by the 145°F temperature, but for most large cuts of meat (like a tenderloin or pork chop), the meat should rest for at least 15 minutes so the juices in the meat do not leak from the flesh when cut (Fresh Pork from Farm to Table).

In terms of safety, the main focus should be ensuring you raise the internal temperature of the meat to 145°F. However, the other most important factor is taste. Cooking meat is complex because the composition of meat varies across different meat cuts. No two are exactly the same. Different muscles have varying amounts of collagen, fat, and meat fibers. Therefore, the best way to prepare a particular cut of meat will vary as well—whether they will need to be prepared with a certain kind of heat, or cooked for either a short amount of time or a prolonged cook time.

Tough Cuts of Pork: Cooking Time and Temperature

Muscles that are more responsible for movement or weight bearing are tougher and have larger deposits of collagen in the meat. Collagen breaks down into gelatin when the meat maintains a temperature of 160°F for a prolonged period of time, and it's this liquified gelatin that makes the meat succulent and moist when prepared properly.

The juiciest pork ribs and the tenderest pork shoulders—otherwise known as Boston butts—are always prepared with lower heat for longer periods of time to allow plenty of time for the collagen to break down and achieve the aforementioned succulence. These muscles should be cooked for a long time at a temperature at or below 275°F until the meat is tender. For this reason, these cuts are often used in slow-cooker recipes because the slow cooker gently cooks the meat at a lower temperature for hours at a time. But with this prolonged time comes the threat of moisture loss, so a liquid for the meat to cook in is essential to maintaining the right level of moisture in the meat.

Tender Cuts of Pork: Cooking Time and Temperature

The muscles that are used the least by the animal are the most prized for their tenderness and juiciness. If they are prepared like the tough cuts of meat, the more tender pork pieces will come out dry and hard—which is why you will never find a good pork tenderloin slow cooker recipe. The general rule is that these cuts should be cooked at a high temperature for the briefest period of time it takes to reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Cooking them any longer risks drying them out.

The most foolproof way to prepare a cut like a pork tenderloin or a nice bone-in pork chop is to sear the outside of the seasoned meat in a cast iron skillet to make a nice crust before transferring the cast iron to a hot oven (425°F) until a thermometer reads 145°F at the thickest part of the meat. As soon as the thermometer indicates the proper temperature, the meat should be set aside to rest, as the tender (and expensive) cuts are the easiest to overcook. Compared to the several hours it takes to prepare a larger, tougher cut of meat, these cuts are done cooking much faster—typically less than half an hour. This quick method of cooking allows for minimal muscle fiber firming and moisture loss, resulting in mouth-watering and tender cuts of pork.

Firming up your knowledge of the science behind the times and temperatures best suited for different cuts of pork will help make you a formidable cook. You will develop the intuition so many professional chefs rely on in their day-to-day work. And with this knowledge and intuition, you'll be able to cook up the perfect cut of pork in your very own kitchen.