Cooking meat? How to know if it's 'done'

How can we tell when our cooked food is done to perfection?

Mr. Food shares his favorite food doneness tips for steak and other foods to avoid guesswork when cooking.
 
Steak
Here's the secret method used by professional chefs to check for the doneness of steak:

Extend your arm, relaxing it slightly.

With two fingers, gently push down on the skin beneath the crook of your elbow; it should be soft to the touch. That should be the texture of a rare steak.

Moving further down toward the wrist, as the flesh feels firmer, that should be the texture of medium, with the firmest texture being well-done.

General Guidelines for Doneness
Here are some general guidelines, courtesy of the 2009 Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

To ensure safety and quality, the minimum internal temperature (°F.) on a meat thermometer/appearance should be:

Ground meats – 160°
Whole cuts (roasts and steaks, etc – 145°
Fresh Pork (all cuts, including ground) – 160°
Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) – 165°
Eggs – Yolk and white are firm
Egg dishes – 160°
Fin Fish – 145°