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As website Thrillist notes, knowing what pink meat means is not as simple as you might think. You might assume it's dangerous, but in some cases it's safe, provided the meat is otherwise prepared and handled properly.

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We were surprised to learn that despite stringent USDA guidelines, eating pink meat isn't a black-and-white issue. The relative risk of contamination varies based on meat type, source, and pure chance, and we learned that in practice many chefs walk on the wild side of temperature regulations in order to achieve a juicy, tender piece of meat. So don't worry about calling a hospital if your steak bleeds out, but read on to learn when to pass on a rare burger.

Rare steaks are fine, ground beef is questionable

Higher quality meat is safer than lower-quality, and that of factory-farmed animals is especially hazardous. Rare steaks are usually safe because searing the entire piece of meat kills most of the harmful bacteria and also sterilizes meat. Ground beef carries extra danger because instead of being a single piece of meat, it may contain meat from hundreds of cows, increasing the risk of contamination. Lower quality meat must reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pink poultry has risks of salmonella, but is a professional gray zone

Most of the dangerous bacteria in poultry is located on its exterior, so cooking it to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit should kill anything dangerous and make the meat safe. Pink and undercooked chicken can be dangerous, potentially carrying salmonella, but in many cases it will cause sickness but nothing more serious.

The risk is always there in pork, but less so

Pork can carry E. coli bacteria, but cooking it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit should kill it. However, pork belly carries greater risk and should be cooked thoroughly.

Rare lamb follows the same rules

Lamb can potentially carry  E. coli and Campylobacter germs, but since they're primarily located on the meat's exterior, searing the meat should be enough to kill them and make the meat safe.

But fish is another story

Fish is especially vulnerable to parasites, even more so than meat from land animals. Plus, thoroughly cooking the meat doesn't eliminate them. Fish can also contain toxins if it's improperly caught and processed. This means with fish, your best best is to buy only high-quality and be very picky about where you purchase it.

Well, we sure didn't know some of these facts about pink meat, but we feel so much more confident about cooking meat now that we've found this guide. We definitely won't be scared about undercooking our meat again, now that we know what to look for and exactly how to prepare it!

Article Source: Thrillist