Roast table check
Whole meat roasts, corned beef among them, are cooked to an internal temperature held for the time in the roast table, in an oven at the temperature for the roast's weight.
Check a cook
145°F held 4 min
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The roast table
Internal temperature and the time it is held there (3-401.11(B)(2)). A reading between two rows takes the time of the lower row: 141°F needs the 12 minutes of 140°F.
| Temperature | Time held |
|---|---|
| 130°F | 112 min |
| 131°F | 89 min |
| 133°F | 56 min |
| 135°F | 36 min |
| 136°F | 28 min |
| 138°F | 18 min |
| 140°F | 12 min |
| 142°F | 8 min |
| 144°F | 5 min |
| 145°F | 4 min |
| 147°F | 134 s |
| 149°F | 85 s |
| 151°F | 54 s |
| 153°F | 34 s |
| 155°F | 22 s |
| 157°F | 14 s |
| 158°F | instantly |
The oven
Under 10 lb: still dry 350°F or more, convection 325°F or more; 10 lb or more: 250°F or more; high humidity 250°F or less (3-401.11(B)(1)).
| Oven | Under 10 lb | 10 lb or more |
|---|---|---|
| Still dry | 350°F or more | 250°F or more |
| Convection | 325°F or more | 250°F or more |
| High humidity | 250°F or less | 250°F or less |
High humidity: Relative humidity greater than 90% for at least 1 hour in the cooking chamber or oven exit, or a moisture-impermeable bag that provides 100% humidity.
The cook check
The final internal temperature and the minutes it was held are compared with the roast table of 3-401.11(B): the time needed is that of the highest table temperature not above the reading, so 141°F needs the 12 minutes of 140°F. Below 130°F no time is enough. The oven temperature is checked against the roast weight.
Sources: FDA Food Code 2013 (adopted in Massachusetts by 105 CMR 590.000).