Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences
Summer is officially here and the smells of barbecue frequently fill the air. The Fourth of July is at the top of the list of the most popular grilling holidays, but there has been an increase in grilling meals year-round according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.
The Association reports that 86 percent of households own an outdoor barbecue, grill or smoker, and 62 percent of grill owners use them year-round.
Karen Blakeslee, food science extension associate for K-State Research and Extension, said no matter what type of outdoor cooker gas, charcoal or electric it should be cleaned.
Give yourself a clean start
The heat does burn off a lot of food particles, but its a good idea to use a grill brush and scrub it well, Blakeslee said. If you can take the grill off, scrub both sides so you can get as much charred residue off as you can. If theres any grease left from last year, try to scrape that off, too.
Also clean out leftover charcoal, ashes and wood from the last outdoor cooking season, and make sure vents are clean and not plugged up, she said. For a gas grill, make sure propane connections are tight and hoses are not cracked to prevent potential gas leaks.
Once the grill is clean, make sure the area around the grill is also free of debris that could have collected through the winter, and stabilize the grill on a flat, cement surface, Blakeslee said. Keep the cooker out of the garage, out of the grass and out of traffic flow.
Food safety for meat
Grilling is no different than cooking inside of your kitchen, as the same food safety principles apply to both, Blakeslee said. When preparing meat for grilling, it is best to thaw it out first, so it doesnt take too long to cook on the grill. Thaw meat in the refrigerator, so it stays cold while its thawing. Thawing it under cold running water is acceptable if a person needs to prepare the meat in a rush.
For some smaller foods, such as hamburgers, it would be fine to put them frozen on the grill, but youll end up with a better product, not overcooked or charred, if you thaw it out first, Blakeslee said.
When transferring meat from the kitchen to the grill, she said, keep the raw meat on one plate and the finished, cooked meat on another plate, or wash the plate in between the transfer to and from the grill. Apply the same method of separating or washing with utensils used for raw and cooked meat. This helps avoid cross-contamination.
Also marinade meat in the refrigerator, Blakeslee said. Once the meat is taken out of the marinade, dispose of the leftover marinade. Some people like to use the marinade as a glaze on the cooked meat, but they must bring it to a boil first to kill any bacteria that might be present from the raw meat.
Use a thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked to the proper safe temperature and to lessen the chance of overcooking, she said. The internal temperature should be taken in the middle of the cut.
For example, if you are cooking burgers, insert the thermometer into the side so that more of the thermometer stem actually gets into the meat and you get a good reading, Blakeslee said.
Ground meat products including beef, pork and lamb, should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. All poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees, and steaks and pork chops to at least 145 degrees.
