What does a meat thermometer display if the meat temperature is uneven?

Let's say I'm cooking a piece of meat and the whose outside temperature is higher than its inside temperature. If I stick a meat thermometer through the piece of meat so that part of the needle is at the center and part of it is at the surface, what reading will the thermometer report?

• the temperature in the center (minimum temperature)


• the temperature at the surface (maximum temperature)


• some average temperature

Also, would the reading be skewed if most of the needle is not touching anything? Should I stick the needle through a second piece of meat so that the whole needle is covered?

(Background: I'm thinking of food safety)