The weather is finally warming up and I am ready to get out and use the grill! It is important to remember that food must be handled correctly both in the kitchen and on the grill. Here are some quick reminders when using your grill to keep the food you are grilling safe.
- Remember to keep your cold foods cold. Bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature, so keep your meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. If you want to marinade meat do it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. If you plan to grill away from home make sure that you transport meat in a cooler with some ice. The goal is to keep meat at refrigerator temperature.
- Do not reuse the plate that you use to take the meat out to the grill. Juices from raw meat and poultry are high in bacteria that could contaminate the cooked meat.
- Do not use color as an indicator of when meat is done. Recent USDA research studies indicate that some ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F. The only safe way to determine if food is done is to use a meat thermometer. An instant read thermometer takes the guess work out of grilling.
- It is not a good idea to partially cook meats. If you must cook ahead, cook the food completely, cool it quickly in the refrigerator in shallow containers and reheat it later on the grill.
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Remember these Safe Internal Minimum Temperatures |
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| Whole Poultry | 165°F |
| Poultry Breasts | 165°F |
| Ground Poultry | 165°F |
| Ground Beef and Pork | 160°F |
| Other Pork cuts | 145°F (followed by a 3 minute rest) |
| Beef, veal and lamb(steaks, roasts and chops) | Medium rare 145°FMedium 160°F |
So get out there and enjoy your grill, knowing that you are doing all you can to keep your food safe.
