Follow these helpful tips and techniques, passed on from Pit Boss
familiar with your grill:
1. FOOD SAFETY
•
Use different platters 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. Each marinade or sauce should have its own utensil.
•
Keep hot foods hot (above 60ºC / 140ºF), and keep cold foods cold (below 3ºC / 37ºF). Cooked foods should not be left
out in the heat for more than an hour. Do not leave hot foods out of refrigeration for more than two hours.
•
A marinade should never be saved to use at a later time. If you are going to use it to serve with your meat, be sure
to bring it to a boil before serving.
•
Defrost and marinade meats by refrigeration. Do not thaw meat at room temperature or on a counter top. Bacteria
can grow and multiply rapidly in warm, moist foods. Wash hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before starting
any meal preparation and after handling fresh meat, fish and poultry.
2. COOKING PREPARATION
•
Be prepared, or Mise en Place . This refers to preparing the cooking recipe, fuel, accessories, utensils, and all
ingredients you require at grill side before you start cooking. Also, read the entire recipe, start to finish, before
lighting the grill.
•
A BBQ floor mat is very useful. Due to food handling accidents and cooking spatter, a BBQ floor mat would protect
a deck, patio, or stone platform from the possibility of grease stains or accidental spills.
3. GRILLING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
•
Always use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the foods you are cooking. It's a good
idea to put cooked food onto a heated platter, keeping the food warm. Red meats, such as steak and roasts, benefit
from resting for several minutes before serving. It allows the juices that were driven to the surface by heat to ease
back to the center of the meat, adding more flavor.
•
Sugar-based sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent burning and flare-ups.
•
Use a set of long-handled tongs for turning meats, and a spatula for turning burgers and fish. Using a piercing
utensil, such as a fork, will prick the meat and allow the juices to escape.
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TIPS & TECHNIQUES
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