Three Basic Rules for Food Safety
1. Keep everything in the kitchen and cooking area clean.
2. Keep hot foods hot (above 140ºF)
3. Keep cold foods cold (below 37ºF)
We want you to enjoy healthy and safe grill cooking, so following are some hints for basic barbecue hygiene:
Wash hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before starting any meal preparation and after handling fresh meat,
fish and poultry.
Use a different platter and utensils for the cooked meat than the ones you used to prepare or transport the raw meat
out to the grill. This will prevent cross contamination of bacteria.
Use a different utensil for each marinade or basting sauce to prevent cross contamination.
Do not leave hot foods out of refrigeration for more than two hours.
Cooked foods and salads should not be left out in the heat for more than an hour. Fill a deep tray or casserole dish
with ice to keep salads cool and safe.
Do not defrost meat at room temperature or on a counter top. Thaw under refrigeration.
Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Bacteria are living organisms that grow and multiply rapidly in warm, moist foods.
A marinade should never be saved to use at a later day. If you are going to use it to serve with your meat, be sure
to bring it to a boil before serving.
Always use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the foods you are cooking.
Wood smoke
turns meat and poultry pink. The pink band is a smoke ring and is highly prized by the true “Pit Masters”.
It’s a good idea to put grilled food onto a heated platter, to help keep the food warm. Steaks benefit from resting for
several minutes before serving. It allows those delicious juices that were driven to the surface by heat to ease back
to the center.
3
Section Three: TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Page 29
