Where should a thermometer be inserted to properly measure the temperature of a large bone-in piece of meat?

To accurately measure the temperature of a large bone-in piece of meat, the thermometer should be inserted near, but not touching, the bone in the center of the muscle. This method is effective because the center of the muscle is usually the last part to reach the desired internal temperature during cooking. By placing the thermometer close to the bone, heats from the bone can also be taken into consideration while avoiding direct contact, which could lead to inaccurate readings due to the bone's ability to conduct heat more efficiently than the surrounding muscle tissue.

Inserting the thermometer directly touching the bone may give a misleading reading if the bone is hotter than the surrounding meat, meaning it could appear cooked when the muscle may not have reached a safe temperature yet. Similarly, measuring near the surface of the muscle could result in an inaccurate reading as surface temperatures can fluctuate significantly compared to the center of the meat. Therefore, positioning it near, but not touching the bone, provides a reliable indication of the overall doneness of the meat.