BBQ FOOD SAFELY

Your Guests - Your Responsibility

The following is a Great Article with a lot of essential tips about how to BBQ Food Safely. This is especially useful if you are new to the backyard BBQ 'N' Grill experience, but it also serves as a refresher for the Seasoned Barbecue Pro about how to store, handle, prepare and BBQ Food safely! The good health of you and your guests is a very high priority, so Following these tips is a must. Baz :-)

By Terry Nicholls
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. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing food-borne illness.

1. Defrosting
Completely defrost 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.

2. Marinating

Meat and poultry can be marinated for several hours or days to tenderize or add flavor. Be sure to marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. 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.

3. 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 the cooler in the coolest part of the car.

4. Keep Cold Food Cold

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 & perishables in a separate cooler.

5. Keep Everything Clean

Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent food-borne 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.

6. Cook Thoroughly

Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy 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 internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 180° F; breasts, 170° F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160° F; ground poultry, 165° F. Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145° F. All cuts of pork should reach 160° F. NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking  later.

7. Keep Hot Food Hot

After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served -- at 140° For 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 a warm oven (approximately 200° F), in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.

8. Serving Safely

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

9. Safe Smoking

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° F to 300° F for safety. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.

10. Pit Roasting

Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more and is difficult to estimate. A meat 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.

Copyright (c) Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author Terry Nicholls is the author of the eBook "Food Safety: Protecting Your Family From Food Poisoning". The url is not linking to Terry Nicholls' web site at present. Terry, Please contact us to amend your signature box.

Following these guidelines to BBQ food Safely you should have no problems. A little bit of thought and your common sense should suffice.
Don't let food poisoning ruin your day.
Keep the BBQ Food Safely Tips on your mind and you won't go far wrong.

If you want more information on how to BBQ food safely and safe outdoor cooking, then check out the following Government web sites

Food Standards Agency.gov.uk - Whatever you're cooking up, keep food safe for friends and family with our BBQ food safely tips.

BBQ Food Safety from usda.gov - Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say.....

Eating Outdoors from dhac.gov.au - With the summer barbecue and picnic season in full swing, there's nothing most Australians like better than a traditional outdoor barbecue

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