Josh, almost similar story for me. And another associated with poultry.
My best example is with my 85 year old Italian MIL. She's an awesome lady who grew up poor. They raised their own chickens and pigs for personal use.
She's a great cook, but makes specific things a specific way. She doesn't experiment all that much without some coaxing.
Now I have had my extended "in law" family over for dinner over the 30 years of marriage as well as brought my own stuff to their houses and cooked for them many, many times.
It never fails that when I do a pork dish (there have been many) she will ask me how I get the pork to be so tender and tasty. Of course there's marinade, rub, coatings, glazes, general prep depending on the dish/presentation - but inadvertently I tell her I just don't overcook it.
I remember telling her that I pull say the whole loin at a general internal temp from 135-140 to let it set and come up to 145-150. They kind of snicker that I bring the thermocouple with me
She gets a scared look on her face and I have to explain the whole thing to her. It's been ingrained in folks for years and they can become fearful when they hear the lower temps.
My FIL always tells me how he likes my steaks, poultry, pork, etc. He always says his mother was a good cook but when it came to meat everything was like "leather".
When you talk to them about what the real temps ought to be and what they really cook to in restaurants and why, they tend to understand. But the initial conversation is a shock.
I started to learn this years ago as I cooked pork the first time until it just turned white and no pink - then stopped. I found out that that temperature was 140 or thereabouts and kept shooting for it. I then had checked other references and found out that what I was doing was just fine as far as safety.
Pretty much the same story with poultry.
People were telling me how my cooks were like in a restaurant, and I think this has a LOT to do with it notwithstanding the other/significant prep, but with meat and poultry this was a key early on - say 30-35 years ago.
Now when my brother or BIL ask how I do it out by their grill I give them the same info.
