Safer grilling part 2: handling meats safely
By Heather
by Heather
You already know to keep kids and pets away from the hot grill, right? And not to wear flowing sleeves that can catch fire? Well, how boned-up are you on barbecue food safety?
Think about whether you follow these guidelines and, if not, why not:
Food preparation
Start clean: Be sure all utensils, plates and cooking surfaces are clean, and your hands are washed well before handling food. And afterward. If there isn’t a sink handy, then keep some alcohol-based gel or equivalent hand spritz in your BBQ apron
Don’t leave raw meat out: Take only as much food out of the cooler as you’re going to cook right now. You can keep fresh, raw ground beef in the fridge for up to two days or in the freezer up to four months [tidbit from Still Tasty]; chicken can last up to nine months in your freezer
Cook meats thoroughly: The USDA recommends fully cooking meats to ensure bacteria are destroyed.
- Hamburgers and ribs should be cooked to 160° F or until the center is no longer pink and juices are clear.
- Cook ground poultry to 165° F and poultry parts (like that yummy bone-in breast) to 180° F.
- Heat pre-cooked meats until steaming hot (we’re talking about dogs here).
Use a clean platter: Transfer all cooked meat to a clean plate or platter – never place cooked meat on a platter that held raw meat. Ewww.
Never reuse marinades that have come in contact with raw meat, chicken or fish, and don’t put the cooked food back into an unwashed container or the dish that contained the marinade. If you want to use some as dipping sauce, set it aside before you soak your meat in it.
Store leftovers safely: Get your leftovers into shallow containers and back into the cooler right away. You’ll have to toss out (and in Berkeley, that means composting what we can) anything left out longer than two hours.
Spritz your kids, too: Everyone, clean your hands before you eat.
What one thing can you do to be a little safer around food this summer?
I’d be lying if I said I was going to be better about washing hands; I’m obsessed with that. I plan to be a little more organized about keeping clean platters and utensils ready to go so I don’t have to be darting in and out of the house so much.
Related links:
Adventures in Grilling or Why Mommy is Wearing a Bandage Around Her Hand
Still Tasty: what to keep and what to toss after food’s left out
Photo by Heather. Some rights reserved. Usage does not constitute photographer’s endorsement.
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