Making sure your meat is cooked through is incredibly important to prevent yourself from getting food poisoning. 

Unless you've got a food thermometer, it can sometimes be difficult to judge whether you've cooked your meat enough. Follow these steps to make sure you're eating meat safely.

What type of meat is it?

Whole cuts of meat like steaks carry bacteria on the outside of the meat and thus are safe to eat rare. Other meats such as poultry or pork carry bacteria all the way through the meat - thus it's important to kill this off.

Whole cuts (steaks)

You have to seal the meat by having the pan on a high heat - this just means you're cooking the outside of the steak. You will know when it's sealed as the outside of the steak will have changed colour. 

There's a handy tip to use if you need to know when to take the steak off the heat. The 'touch test' involves touching the meat and comparing it to how the soft bit of your hand just under your thumb feels. 

• If the meat feels like this part of your hand - raw
• If the meat feels like this part of your hand when your thumb touches your index finger - rare
• If the meat feels like this part of your hand when your thumb touches your middle finger - medium rare
• If the meat feels like this part of your hand when your thumb touches your ring finger - medium well
• If the meat feels like this part of your hand when your thumb touches your pinky finger - well done
  

Other meats

• Whole chicken - Cook to packet instructions and pull the leg away from the body and make sure the juices run clear when you skewer between it. If it's still a bit pink then pop it back in the oven. 
• Chicken fillets - If you're frying chicken breasts or thighs then you should cook them to a golden colour. To check it's all cooked through, take a bit out of the pan and make sure no pink remains.
• Sausages - When pierced with a fork, the juices should run clear and no pinkness remains. 
• Casseroles - Check the meat in various places as it might cook unevenly. Some parts of it can be hotter than others.