by If the more than 30 degrees of heat or the incessant swarm of flying ants were not enough of a giveaway, the touch of BBQ aromas, which stops at Balmy Evening Air, is a good indicator that the summer is officially arrived.
A good way to make the warmer weather optimal and to produce the taste in summer, seasonal ingredients. Grills are not only a great food experience, they are perfect to get involved with family and friends and enjoy time.
But this fun can soon take an uncanny turn if you and your guests get sick because you did not take the right measures to prepare and cook your food.
When Narriman Looch, head of food hygiene and food illuminated by the food safety authority, warns: “Warm weather and outdoor kitchen can be the perfect conditions for bacteria to grow. There is also a risk of eating bacteria of raw meat for speech, and spreading the risk of a low -cooked meat.”
Here is our Expert guideline how you can do BBQ correctly – and avoid poisoning your guests.
How do you prepare for a grill?
Preparation is the key when it comes to BBQs. LOOCH says this starts with Clean the grill You use (especially if you recently used it for cooking).
Then she says thoroughly Wash your hands, surfaces and utensilsto prevent contamination.
If you prepare your food in advance, make sure Keep it chilled or chilled Until they are ready to serve or cook on the grill.
When it works too Defrost meatYou should do this in the fridge overnight, Looch advises. If necessary, you can complete the process in a microwave in the thaw Consume within 24 hours.
It should be a matter of course, but also do it Check the date of use On the package. While the best data is the quality of the food, the usage data signal whether the food is safe to eat.
Then the thing arrives. If you use a charcoal grill and an electric or gas grill, it is important that you Make sure the coals are hot enough Before you start cooking. “You should shine red, with a gray, powdery surface,” says Looch.
Tips for meat
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Keep chilled foods away from the fridge for the shortest time during the preparation
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First, consider cooking chicken and pork in the oven and then give it a final finish of your grill
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Cook your food at the right temperature and for the right time (check the package, if not sure)
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Red meat like steaks can be served pink, rare or bloody and is safe to eat as long as the outdoor area is sufficient
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Other meat such as chicken and pork as well as chopped meat products such as burgers, kebabs and sausages should not Be pink or rare because bacteria can be in the meat
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Turn your meat regularly onto the grill and move it to ensure that it is cooked evenly on all sides. Try keeping raw meat away from cooked meat on the grill – consider to devote a section of the grill for cooked meat
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Use different utensils, plates and wood cards for raw and cooked food
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Remember that it is not always cooked inside
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Before serving, always check that the meat is consistently hot. If you cut into the thickest part, there is no pink meat visible and the juices run clear
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Use different plates for raw meat, cooked meat and frequented foods such as quiches and salads
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If in doubt, invest in a food thermometer. “We would recommend a minimum temperature of 75 ° C for meat,” says Ben Hansford, senior technical consultant at Food Alert. “It will also help to cook food.”
Tips for seafood
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Keep cooled fish or seafood for the shortest time during preparation from the fridge
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Always wash your hands before and after touching raw fish and seafood
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Follow the cooking guidelines and instructions according to the recipe or package. If you cook fish or seafood, you can use visual and sensory information to determine whether the food is cooked thoroughly:
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Fish meat should be opaque (no longer transparent) and easily separate with a fork
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Shrimp, scallops, crabs and lobster meat should be firm and opaque
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When cooking mussels, shells and oysters, the mussels open during the cooking – throw away all of them that do not open because they may have become bad
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You can also use smell to check whether fish or seafood are spoiled. There is usually a very strong fishy smell when the food has leaked
Tips for vegetables
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Clean vegetables before use with water
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Wash your hands after touching raw meat and before you handle vegetables
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To avoid cross contamination, keep vegetables in a separate area of the grill grille on your meat or fish
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Use separate utensils and hacking boards to handle vegetables, meat and fish
Tips for side dishes and “electoral parts”
Of course, no grill would be completely without potato salad, herb salad or dip – and just like the other food listed above, you can also carry out your health if it is not prepared, saved and served.
LOOCH warns that the most common cause of this is a cross contamination of common utensils. It could be that the pliers they used to absorb sausages are then used on the corn on the COB plate, or that juices are transferred from the pliers to other dishes when moving cooked foods to be served.
To avoid this, Looch suggests:
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Storage of raw meat separated from food
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Use different utensils, plates and chopping cards for raw, cooked food and finished food
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Wash your hands after touching raw meat and before dealing with ready-to-eat food
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Keep the food cool until you are ready to eat. Consider storage in the refrigerator and only absorb as necessary
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Remember
She also emphasizes that she does not reuse marinades: “If it is already on raw meat, cooked or willing to eat, you should not reuse it. If your marinade was not in contact with raw meat or food, it will be fine to use as a sauce if you want.”
What to do with remnants
We all love some remains – not only avoids food waste, but it also tastes even better the next day. But it is important that you really deal with you.
“Cover and cool cooked food quickly at room temperature,” advises Looch. “Put them in a refrigerator or a cool bag (with ice cream bag) within one to two hours, especially on hot days. Cool bags are not designed in such a way that the food stays cold for an indefinite period.
She continues: “Take the remains in the interiors as soon as possible. This keeps the food out of the sun and from insects and animals.
Hansford also notes that they can freeze remains from their grill. However, it is a good idea to add the freezer or container data, and the reduction process is the key. As described above by Looch, you should thaw meat in the refrigerator and consume it within two days later.
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