Get the pull temperature, carryover, rest time and a planning estimate — built on USDA safe minimums, with one rule: pull at temperature, not time.
A roast keeps cooking after it leaves the oven — the outer layers are hotter than the core, and that heat keeps migrating inward while it rests. This is carryover, and for a roast it adds roughly 5–10 °F. So you pull the meat below your target and let the rest finish it.
The time estimate is just for planning your day. Oven calibration, the shape of the cut, whether it's bone-in, and how cold the meat started all change it. The only reliable doneness test is a probe thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone.
These come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and are not negotiable for safety:
| Meat | Safe minimum | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Beef, pork, lamb, veal (roasts) | 145°F (63°C) | 3 min |
| All poultry | 165°F (74°C) | — |
| Ground meats | 160°F (71°C) | — |
Doneness levels below these (such as rare beef) are a personal-preference choice that healthy adults commonly make, but this tool flags them as below the USDA minimum. There is no safe medium-rare for poultry — chicken and turkey must reach 165 °F. Carryover figures here are cooking guidance, not USDA-published numbers. If you're pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised, or cooking for young children, follow the safe minimums and consult the FSIS hotline.