With the backyard grilling season starting in earnest, many
outdoor cooks’ greatest
fear is E. coli. But more hidden dangers lurk in the handling
than inside the meat, says a
University of Georgia expert.

“The first place people go wrong is taking foods from the
freezer and thawing them
on the counter,” said Judy Harrison, an Extension Service
food safety specialist with
the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“Thawing foods at room temperature allows bacteria to
multiply,” she said.
“The first step in keeping meat and poultry safe for
grilling is to thaw them and
marinate them in the refrigerator.”

Don’t put cooked meat or poultry on the same plate that held the raw meat unless you have thoroughly washed the plate.

Separate Raw Foods From
Cooked

The second step is to keep raw foods separated from
cooked.

“Don’t put cooked meat or poultry on the same plate that
held the raw meat unless
you have throughly washed the plate,” Harrison said.

Always thoroughly wash your hands and all preparation areas
and utensils.

Keep Grill Hot, Clean

Step three to safe grilling is the grill. A few years ago,
consumers were alarmed when
scientists published studies alleging that compounds formed when
food is charred on a
grill are carcinogenic.

“To be safe, allow coals to burn until they’re ashy white
(about 20 to 30
minutes), before you begin cooking,” Harrison said.
“That will make sure the
temperature is high enough to cook properly.”

Trim fat from meats, too, to help prevent flame-ups that can
char food.

Once the coals are ready, look at the grill. How clean is the
rack?

“Most people just let whatever residue is on there burn
off,” Harrison said.
“That’s probably OK. But a cleaner, safer alternative is to
wash the grill rack in
hot, soapy water as soon as you finish cooking.

“Don’t let food residue stay on the grill,” she
said. “If you do, it’s
harder to clean, and bacteria are more likely to be present and
multiply.”

If you’re basting with marinade, remember to keep raw and
cooked foods separate.

“Set aside a separate bowl of the marinade to use for
basting,” Harrison
said. “Don’t let the marinade that has come in contact with
the raw meat get back in
contact with the meat as it is cooking, or you’ll just add the
bacteria back.”

Cook beef and pork to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and poultry to 180 F.

Cook Meat Thoroughly

The final step to safe grilling is getting the meat cooked
thoroughly.

“The best way to tell when it’s thoroughly cooked is to
use a meat thermometer or
a metal stem-type test thermometer,” Harrison said.

Beef and pork should reach an internal temperature of at
least
160 degrees Fahrenheit
for medium and 170 F for well done. Poultry should be 180 F.

Be especially careful to check ground meat. Ground beef
should
reach at least 160 F in
the center. Ground poultry should reach 165 F.

“We used to recommend that if the juices were running
clear and the meat was brown
in the center it was done,” Harrison said. “We now know
that some ground beef
turns brown before it reaches 160 degrees and some stays pink
after it reaches that point.
You need to check it with a thermometer.”

Harrison said people often ask her why you can eat a steak
that’s pink in the center,
but not a hamburger. “Most bacteria need air to exist,”
she said. “With a
cut of meat, the contaminants are mainly on the surface.

“During cooking, the surface reaches a high temperature
rather quickly, and the
bacteria are killed,” she said. “But with ground beef,
air and bacteria get
spread throughout the product during grinding. So you need to
get
the center thoroughly
done.”

Keep Foods Safely Hot

Getting the meat safely cooked is half the battle. Keeping
it safe is the other.

“Once the food is cooked, transfer that hot product
from the grill to a serving
utensil where it can be kept at 140 degrees F or above for
serving,” Harrison said.
“That’s especially important if it will be out more than
two hours, or even more than
one hour on a hot day.”

Try warming trays, crock pots or chafing dishes with Sterno
burners to keep foods hot.