If you’re not sure whether it’s done, you can cut it open and have a look.
You should probably specify how one would actually visually distinguish done from not done. Or maybe not, it sounds like PeerInfinity already understands the basics of cooking. I don’t, however. :)
Uncooked meat is semitransparent with a kind of gelatin-like luster. As it cooks, it becomes more opaque and shifts color.
The exact color transitions depend on the kind of meat and whether it’s had a chance to oxidize before you start cooking it. Chicken, which as mentioned you need to worry about the most, starts out a pale yellow-pink and cooks to a tannish color. Pork starts out light pink and cooks to a kind of light pinkish-gray; if it goes completely gray you’ve overcooked it. Beef and lamb start dark red, or dark pink if they’ve been exposed to the air, and cook to a deep red-brown.
All meat develops a brown crust over time if it’s being grilled or pan-fried, but it’s the interior color that matters. Another thing to look at is the kind of juice it’s dripping; uncooked meat bleeds slightly, a thin reddish fluid, while well-cooked meat oozes gravy-like, clear or brownish liquids. It’s safe before it stops bleeding, though.
You should probably specify how one would actually visually distinguish done from not done. Or maybe not, it sounds like PeerInfinity already understands the basics of cooking. I don’t, however. :)
Uncooked meat is semitransparent with a kind of gelatin-like luster. As it cooks, it becomes more opaque and shifts color.
The exact color transitions depend on the kind of meat and whether it’s had a chance to oxidize before you start cooking it. Chicken, which as mentioned you need to worry about the most, starts out a pale yellow-pink and cooks to a tannish color. Pork starts out light pink and cooks to a kind of light pinkish-gray; if it goes completely gray you’ve overcooked it. Beef and lamb start dark red, or dark pink if they’ve been exposed to the air, and cook to a deep red-brown.
All meat develops a brown crust over time if it’s being grilled or pan-fried, but it’s the interior color that matters. Another thing to look at is the kind of juice it’s dripping; uncooked meat bleeds slightly, a thin reddish fluid, while well-cooked meat oozes gravy-like, clear or brownish liquids. It’s safe before it stops bleeding, though.