**
Grilling Tips From Haverhill Beef **
The picnic and barbeque season
traditionally begins on Memorial Day weekend. To protect yourself,
your family, and friends from foodborne illness, practice safe
food handling techniques when eating outdoors. Keep the below
tips in mind when preparing, storing, and cooking food for picnics
and barbecues.
Barbecue And Food
Safety From The
USDA Food Safety And Inspection Service (FSIS)*
Cooking outdoors was once only
a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than
half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. So
whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining brightly, it's
important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful
bacteria from multiplying and causing foodborne illness. Use
these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.
From the Store: Home First
When shopping, buy cold food like meat and poultry last, right
before checkout. Separate raw meat and poultry from other food
in your shopping cart. To guard against cross-contamination
which can happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on other
food put packages of raw meat and poultry into plastic
bags.
Plan to drive directly home from
the grocery store. You may want to take a cooler with ice for
perishables. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours.
Refrigerate within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.
At home, place meat and poultry
in the refrigerator immediately. Freeze poultry and ground meat
that won't be used in 1 or 2 days; freeze other meat within 4
to 5 days.
Thaw Safely
Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks
more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw
sealed packages in cold water. You can microwave defrost if the
food will be placed immediately on the grill.
Marinating
A marinade is a savory, acidic sauce in which a food is soaked
to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it. Marinate food in the
refrigerator, not on the counter. Poultry and cubed meat or stew
meat can be marinated up to 2 days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb
roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5 days. If some
of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food,
reserve a portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and
poultry in it. However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry
is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to
destroy any harmful bacteria.
Transporting
When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize
bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice
or ice packs to keep the food at 40 °F or below. Pack food
right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before
leaving home.
Keep Cold Food Cold
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Only take
out the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the
grill.
When using a cooler, keep it
out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter.
Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and
warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in
a separate cooler.
Keep Everything Clean
Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent
foodborne illness, don't use the same platter and utensils for
raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in
raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely
cooked food.
If you're eating away from home,
find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water
for preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths, and wet towelettes
for cleaning surfaces and hands.
Precooking
Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove is
a good way of reducing grilling time. Just make sure that the
food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.
Cook Thoroughly
Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful
bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very
fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food
has reached a safe minimum internal temperature. Beef, veal,
and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 °F.
Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 °F. All cuts
of pork should reach 160 °F. All poultry should reach a minimum
of 165 °F.
NEVER partially grill meat
or poultry and finish cooking later.
Reheating
When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs, grill to 165
°F or until steaming hot.
Keep Hot Food Hot
After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until
served at 140 °F or warmer.
Keep cooked meats hot by setting
them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals
where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept
hot in an oven set at approximately 200 °F, in a chafing
dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.
Serving the Food
When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put
cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.
Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate
safely cooked food.
In hot weather (above 90 °F),
food should never sit out for more than 1 hour.
Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard
any food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if temperatures are
above 90 °F).
Safe Smoking
Smoking is cooking food indirectly in the presence of a fire.
It can be done in a covered grill if a pan of water is placed
beneath the meat on the grill; and meats can be smoked in a "smoker,"
which is an outdoor cooker especially designed for smoking foods.
Smoking is done much more slowly than grilling, so less tender
meats benefit from this method, and a natural smoke flavoring
permeates the meat. The temperature in the smoker should be maintained
at 250 to 300 °F for safety.
Use a food thermometer to be
sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.
Pit Roasting
Pit roasting is cooking meat in a large, level hole dug in the
earth. A hardwood fire is built in the pit, requiring wood equal
to about 2½ times the volume of the pit. The hardwood
is allowed to burn until the wood reduces and the pit is half
filled with burning coals. This can require 4 to 6 hours burning
time.
Cooking may require 10 to 12
hours or more and is difficult to estimate. A food thermometer
must be used to determine the meat's safety and doneness. There
are many variables such as outdoor temperature, the size and
thickness of the meat, and how fast the coals are cooking.
Does Grilling Pose a Cancer
Risk?
Some studies suggest there may be a cancer risk related to eating
food cooked by high-heat cooking techniques as grilling, frying,
and broiling. Based on present research findings, eating moderate
amounts of grilled meats like fish, meat, and poultry cooked
without charring to a safe temperature does not
pose a problem.
To prevent charring, remove visible
fat that can cause a flare-up. Precook meat in the microwave
immediately before placing it on the grill to release some of
the juices that can drop on coals. Cook food in the center of
the grill and move coals to the side to prevent fat and juices
from dripping on them. Cut charred portions off the meat.
*=Source
Last Modified: April 25, 2007
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
NOTE: NEVER, NEVER
LET YOUR CHILDREN COOK OR GRILL UNSUPERVISED! |