# Recipe Standards Every recipe on RecipePlot is held to the same checklist before it is published. This page sets out that checklist, so you know what a recipe here promises and what it does not. ### Measured, not guessed Amounts are given in standard US measures, with weights wherever accuracy matters. ### Safe by the numbers Meat, poultry, egg and leftover temperatures follow USDA safe minimums. ### Honest timings Prep, cook and rest times are listed separately, and the total includes every step. ### Complete steps Steps are written so that every ingredient in the list appears in the method. ## How a recipe is built - **Start from the established method.** The core ratios and techniques for a dish are drawn from long-established cooking practice and cross-checked against several published sources, not from a single page. - **Write the reasoning down.** Each key step states what it does, for example why the butter is cold or why the dough rests, so the recipe can be adapted without guesswork. - **Check the safety figures.** Every internal temperature, holding time and storage window is checked against current USDA or FDA guidance, and the source is named on the page. - **Check the arithmetic.** Yield, servings, scaled amounts and nutrition estimates are calculated rather than estimated, and totals are verified against the ingredient list. - **Gather the variations.** The common versions people search for, such as dairy-free, egg-free, slow cooker or a half batch, are written into the same page with the changes they need. ## The safety numbers this site uses These are the safe minimum internal temperatures published by USDA. Recipes on RecipePlot never instruct a lower one. | Food | Safe minimum internal temperature | | --- | --- | | Poultry, whole or ground, including stuffing cooked inside it | 165°F (74°C) | | Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb | 160°F (71°C) | | Beef, pork, veal and lamb steaks, chops and roasts | 145°F (63°C), then a 3-minute rest | | Fish and shellfish | 145°F (63°C) | | Egg dishes | 160°F (71°C) | | Leftovers and casseroles, when reheated | 165°F (74°C) | Source: [FoodSafety.gov safe minimum temperatures chart](https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures). ## Nutrition figures Nutrition shown on a recipe card is an estimate for one serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. It is not a laboratory analysis, and it changes with the brands, sizes and swaps you choose. Anyone following a medical diet should treat it as a starting point and confirm it with their own sources. ## What a recipe here does not claim - No invented stories, family histories or "my kids loved it" testimonials. - No health claims for a dish or ingredient. - No canning or long-term preservation instructions unless they follow a tested USDA process. - No undercooking advice that falls below a safe minimum temperature. **A recipe did not work for you?** Say what happened on the [contact page](/contact/). Reports of a recipe failing as written are reviewed first, and any fix is dated on the page.