Many friends and work colleagues have phoned in sick because of food poisoning and followed it up with something like “I had a BBQ at the weekend, and I must have eaten something not properly cooked”.
To be honest I think some of them probably just drank too much but clearly there’s enough of a belief out there that food hygiene is a problem at a barbeque for either a genuine day off work or a cast iron excuse.
In many of the barbecue articles that I’ve written I’ve concentrated on the phrase “sizzle is hot, flames are not” which focuses on the need to be patient and control the barbecue flames. If however you still haven’t mastered this point then maybe it’s time to resign yourself to buying a barbecue thermometer?
Why do I need a BBQ thermometer? Take this barbecue hamburger example:
Many folks assume that when barbecued hamburger is brown in the middle, it is well done but according to USDA research, 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it reaches a safe internal temperature. The internal temperature must be 160°F before its safe to eat.
The bug we’re trying to protect ourselves against is e-coli, and bacterium that live on the surface of meat. This is an important point and essential to understand because we can happily eat a rare steak without any chance of food poisoning. Provided the steak is cooked well on the outside, the bacteria are killed.
This is not the case with a hamburger however because the burger is made from ground meat so surface bacteria could be anywhere inside the hamburger.
The signs and symptoms of food borne illness range from upset stomach, diarrhoea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration, to more severe illness-even death, but having said all this, please don’t be put off having some hamburgers at your next BBQ cookout. With a few simple precautions that follow the rules of basic food hygiene and barbecue food poisoning will be a thing of the past.
Use a food thermometer. Instant-read food thermometers are good for checking the internal temperature toward the end of the cooking time.
1. The food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food and should not be touching bone, fat, or gristle.
2. Make sure to clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use!
The other option is to use a large-dial oven-safe or oven-probe thermometer and these can be inserted in the meat and used for the duration of cooking.
There are many types of food thermometers, so it is important to follow the instructions for your food thermometer to ensure the correct reading. When happy with the method of use you can refer to the USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures to ensure a safe barbeque cookout.
· Steaks & Roasts – 145 °F
· Fish – 145 °F
· Pork – 160 °F
· Ground Beef – 160 °F
· Egg Dishes – 160 °F
· Chicken Breasts – 165 °F
· Whole Poultry – 165 °F
That’s the main one, but to finish off here are a few more tips to help you avoid food poisoning at your next BBQ:-
1. Wash hands and surfaces often
Use warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and wash you’re cutting boards after each food item is prepared
2. Don’t cross-contaminate, always keep raw and cooked food separate. Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
3. Refrigerate promptly – but do not cover (e.g. with stretch wrap) if the food is still hot
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours or sooner.
Be Food Safe! Prepare With Care
Know how to prepare, handle, and store food safely to keep you and your family safe. Bacteria can grow on meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, as well as cut-up or cooked vegetables and fruits.
Follow the above and food poisoning should be a thing of the past. Why not pass this onto your employees? You may see a marked improvement in Monday morning attendance – or maybe just a different excuse.
Grill Friends Grill Wraps Combo-Pack, 4-Maple and 4-Hickory Wraps
$7.99
The traditional barbecue-inch of the Pacific Northwest has been adopted by the entire country – cedar planked salmon. Five-years ago, you had a hard time finding cedar planks in kitchen stores and in most markets, you had to buy untreated cedar at lumber yards and have the wood cut into planks for cooking. Today, home cooks across the country can find these gourmet-inch planks in most stores and they are using them frequently. And, if you stick with the traditional salmon fillet, there is no better presentation than serving the fish directly from the wood – until now. Grill Friends introduces the latest grilling and kitchen innovation: Organic Grilling Wraps. These thin wood wraps are made to be used in a similar way as cedar planks. Like a plank, the wraps must first be soaked to prevent burning. The soaking also makes the wraps flexible so that they can be wrapped around food. Grill Friends wraps are larger than their Japanese counterparts and perfectly sized for American portions. The wraps are designed for individual servings and make a dramatic presentation, whether you wrap the food or place the food on top. The sheets are disposable and make clean-up a snap. Package of 8, 7-1/4 by 8-inch wraps. Includes 4 Maple and 4 Hickory Wraps.
Grilling With HomeBBQ.com
$24.95
In “Grilling with HomeBBQ.com”, Kevin Bevington (5 time FBA Team of the Year Champion) demonstrates cooking on gas and charcoal grills. He starts with the basics and then goes into some great food, including full recipes, and preparation. This DVD will include; Hamburgers, Steak, Chicken, Tri-Tip Roast, Pork Chops, Grilled Salmon, Shrimp, Stuffed Flank Steak, Baltimore Pit Beef, Pork Loin, and much more..This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.
Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue
$17.98
North Carolina is home to the longest continuous barbecue tradition on the North American mainland. Authoritative, spirited, and opinionated (in the best way), Holy Smoke is a passionate exploration of the lore, recipes, traditions, and people who have helped shape North Carolina’s signature slow-food dish. Three barbecue devotees, John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg Reed, and William McKinney, trace the origins of North Carolina ‘cue and the emergence of the heated rivalry between Eastern and Piedmont styles. They provide detailed instructions for cooking barbecue at home, along with recipes for the traditional array of side dishes that should accompany it. The final section of the book presents some of the people who cook barbecue for a living, recording firsthand what experts say about the past and future of North Carolina barbecue.Filled with historic and contemporary photographs showing centuries of North Carolina’s “barbeculture,” as the authors call it, Holy Smoke is one of a kind, offering a comprehensive exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition.
Elizabeth Karmel’s Grill Friends Grill Wraps Combo-Pack, 4 Pecan and 4 Cherry Wraps
$7.95
The traditional barbecue-inch of the Pacific Northwest has been adopted by the entire country – cedar planked salmon. Five-years ago, you had a hard time finding cedar planks in kitchen stores and in most markets, you had to buy untreated cedar at lumber yards and have the wood cut into planks for cooking. Today, home cooks across the country can find these gourmet-inch planks in most stores and they are using them frequently. And, if you stick with the traditional salmon fillet, there is no better presentation than serving the fish directly from the wood – until now. Grill Friends introduces the latest grilling and kitchen innovation: Organic Grilling Wraps. These thin wood wraps are made to be used in a similar way as cedar planks. Like a plank, the wraps must first be soaked to prevent burning. The soaking also makes the wraps flexible so that they can be wrapped around food. Grill Friends wraps are larger than their Japanese counterparts and perfectly sized for American portions. The wraps are designed for individual servings and make a dramatic presentation, whether you wrap the food or place the food on top. The sheets are disposable and make clean-up a snap. Package of 8, 7-1/4 by 8-inch wraps. Includes 4 Pecan and 4 Cherry Wraps.
Easy BBQ Recipes: Mouthwatering Recipes for Beef, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Fish and Vegetables Too!
$5.86
Elizabeth Karmel’s Grill Friends Organic Hickory Grilling Planks, 2-Pack
$10.89
Create restaurant quality food in your own kitchen by flavoring your food with the smoky spice from all-natural American wood. America’s female grilling expert, Elizabeth Karmel, offers the first ever Sear and Plank system. This new, easy to use, line of wood cooking products are made in the USA from sustainable forests and designed to add that delicious and distinctive wood smoke flavor to quick cooking foods including fish, shellfish, pork, poultry, beef and game. The traditional barbeque of the Pacific Northwest has been adopted by the entire country. Cedar planked Salmon is honored because of its complex and wondrous flavor. There is no better presentation than serving the fish directly from the wood. Inspired from the dynamic taste of Cedar planked food, cooks world-wide use Hickory. Bring this delicious and wonderful taste home. Turn your dinner from ordinary into extra-ordinary with these Organic Hickory Planks. Fish or meat, can’t be beat when you use Grill Friends wood grilling products. Set of 2, 5-1/2-inch by 14-1/4-inch planks.