Beef: Degrees of Doneness

I found the following pictures, numbers and general information on the Internet to illustrate the different degrees of doneness for beef in terms of the final internal temperature and the appearance. The information provided next is how to know and to assure that the roast or steak will be exactly what is wanted at serving time.

Test roasts for doneness using a meat thermometer placed so the tip is in the center of the roast, not touching bone or resting in fat. Remove the roast from the oven when the thermometer registers 5º F to 10º F lower than the desired temperature as the internal temperature will continue to rise briefly after it comes out of the oven. This is not much of a problem with steaks because they are thinner than a roast. A quick-read thermometer can also be used in roasts and it can be used more effectively than a regular meat thermometer in testing steaks for doneness.

Very Rare 120º <------> Rare 125º

Medium Rare 130º <------> Medium 145º

Well Done 160º <-----> Very Well Done 170º