• Whether you use an oven-safe model (these are inserted into the meat before cooking and stay there during cooking) or an instant-read model (these are used to test meats out of the oven), getting a correct reading is crucial to safe eating.
• As a general rule, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (don't touch the bone) and always cook to the temperature the recipe specifies.
• For a whole bird, insert the thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle -- and, of course, don't let it touch the bone.

See our guide to roasting meat

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