The internal temperature to take each cut off the heat, when to wrap it and how long to rest it, with USDA's safe temperature beside it. Open a cut for its smoke time at your weight and heat.
Beef
| Cut | Pull at | Wrap at | Rest | Safe (USDA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisket, whole packer | 203°F, probe tender | 165°F | 60 to 120 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Brisket, flat | 200°F, probe tender | 160°F | 30 to 60 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Beef ribs, plate ribs, whole rack | 205°F, probe tender | 165°F | 30 to 60 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Prime rib, bone-in rib roast | 120°F, for medium rare, before the rest | No wrap | 15 to 30 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Tri-tip, whole, reverse seared | 115°F, off the smoker, then sear to 130 to 135°F | No wrap | 10 to 15 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Chuck roast, for pulled beef | 203°F, fork tender, for shredding | 165°F | 30 to 60 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Beef tenderloin, whole roast | 125°F, for medium rare | No wrap | 10 to 15 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
Pork
| Cut | Pull at | Wrap at | Rest | Safe (USDA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pork butt, bone-in shoulder | 203°F, probe tender, for pulling | 160°F | 30 to 60 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Pork ribs, spare ribs | 203°F, or when the rack bends and cracks | 160°F | 5 to 10 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Pork ribs, baby back ribs | 195°F, or when the rack bends | 160°F | 10 to 15 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Pork loin, boneless roast | 145°F, or 140°F and let the rest carry it | No wrap | 5 to 15 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Pork tenderloin, whole | 145°F, or 140°F and let the rest carry it | No wrap | 5 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Pork belly, whole slab | 200°F, probe tender | No wrap | 10 to 15 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Ham, fully cooked, bone-in | 140°F, to reheat a fully cooked ham | No wrap | 10 to 30 min | 140°F |
| Ham, fresh (raw), bone-in | 145°F, then rest 3 minutes; about 160 to 165°F if you want it well done to slice | No wrap | 20 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Ham, cook before eating | 145°F, then rest 3 minutes | No wrap | 3 to 10 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
Poultry
| Cut | Pull at | Wrap at | Rest | Safe (USDA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey, whole | 160°F, in the breast, rising to 165°F as it rests; 175°F in the thigh | No wrap | 15 to 30 min | 165°F |
| Turkey breast, bone-in | 160°F, rising to 165°F as it rests | No wrap | 10 to 30 min | 165°F |
| Turkey breast, whole breast | 165°F, in the thickest part (USDA) | No wrap | 20 min | 165°F |
| Chicken, whole | 160°F, in the breast, rising to 165°F as it rests; 175°F in the thigh | No wrap | 10 to 15 min | 165°F |
| Chicken wings, flats and drumettes | 175°F, for tender meat (safe at 165°F) | No wrap | 5 min | 165°F |
| Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on | 175°F, or up to 195°F for tender dark meat (safe at 165°F) | No wrap | 5 to 10 min | 165°F |
| Turkey legs, drumsticks | 175°F, for tender dark meat (safe at 165°F) | No wrap | 5 min | 165°F |
Lamb
| Cut | Pull at | Wrap at | Rest | Safe (USDA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg of lamb, bone-in | 130°F, for medium rare to medium, before the rest | No wrap | 15 to 20 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
| Lamb shoulder, bone-in, for pulling | 200°F, probe tender, for pulling | 165°F | 20 to 60 min | 145°F, then 3 min |
How to read it
Pull at is the temperature in the thickest part, away from the bone, when the meat comes off. It keeps rising a few degrees as it rests, which is why beef and lamb for medium rare come off below USDA's line, and why a turkey breast pulled at 160°F reaches 165°F.
Wrap at is where the stall usually sets in on a long cook: the meat sits at the same temperature for hours while it sweats. Wrapping in butcher paper or foil pushes it through; leaving it bare builds more bark and takes longer.
Safe (USDA) is the minimum USDA gives for that meat, and the rest it asks for. Every number here comes from a named source, listed on each cut's page.