Summarize:

Stick the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Wait for the reading to determine if your meat has finished cooking. Sanitize the thermometer with hot water and dish soap after you take the reading. Pull the meat away from its heat source while you take the measurement so it doesn’t affect your reading. Measure the temperatures of steaks, chops, or roasts until they are at the correct temperature. This includes beef, pork, lamb, or veal. Once the meat is at temperature, let it rest for 3 minutes. Don’t eat rare steaks if you have a weak immune system. Break apart larger chunks of ground meat to make them cook faster. Make sure ground meat is browned all the way through before consumption. Every cut of poultry needs to be cook thoroughly since it can cause food poisoning when consumed raw. Make sure the poultry is an even color throughout and that the juices inside are clear.
Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer before serving. Cook red meat to 145 °F (63 °C). Make sure ground red meat is above 160 °F (71 °C). Prepare poultry to 165 °F (74 °C).