Cooking outdoors is in full swing. And that means cooks need to
observe food-safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from
multiplying and causing food-borne illness. Here are safety
reminders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Poultry
and cubed meat or stew meat can be marinated for as long as two
days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb roasts, chops and steaks may be
marinated as long as five days.
If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked
food, reserve some marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in
it. If the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused,
make sure to let it first come to a boil to destroy harmful
bacteria.
- When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to
minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with enough ice
or ice packs to keep the food at 40 degrees or colder. Pack food
right from the refrigerator immediately into the cooler before
leaving home.
- Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. If
using a cooler for meat, 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.
- Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. Don't
use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and
poultry. Harmful bacteria in raw meat and poultry and their juices
can contaminate safely cooked food.
- Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven or stove is a
good way to reduce grilling time. But make sure the food goes
immediately on the preheated grill to complete the cooking.
- Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy
harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns
quickly 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 degrees. Hamburgers made of ground beef and all cuts of pork
should reach 160 degrees. All poultry should reach a minimum of 165
degrees.
- Never partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking it
later.
- When reheating hot dogs and other fully cooked meats, grill to
165 degrees, when steaming hot.
- After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it at 140
degrees or warmer until served. Keep cooked meats hot by setting
them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals,
where they could overcook.
- In temperatures above 90 degrees, food should never sit out
for more than one hour.
- Promptly refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers. Discard
any food left out more than two hours, or one hour if temperatures
are above 90 degrees.
- Smoking is cooking food indirectly in the presence of a fire.
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
degrees to 300 degrees for safety.
- Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe
internal temperature.
- Some studies suggest that there might be a cancer risk related
to eating food cooked by high-heat cooking techniques, such as
grilling, frying and broiling. Based on current research findings,
eating moderate amounts of grilled fish, meat and poultry that are
cooked to a safe temperature without charring 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.
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