Martin’s Food Markets want to make sure your next barbecue is a safe and healthy one by keeping food safety top of mind when grilling.
When preparing your meats for grilling, marinate in the refrigerator, not on countertops
or outdoors. If the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food later, set some of it aside in a separate container before adding the raw meat, poultry or seafood.
Sauce used to marinate raw meat should be discarded and not reused.
If you partially cook food in the microwave or oven to reduce grilling time, do so
immediately before food goes on the hot grill. The best way to know if meat is cooked
thoroughly is to use a meat thermometer and check the temperature.
Before removing from the grill, insert a meat thermometer halfway into the thickest part of the meat, making sure it does not go through to the other side.
The thermometer should give a reading in about 15-20 seconds. Included below are the recommended internal temperatures that cooked meat and seafood should be to avoid harmful bacteria such as E. coli:
- Ground beef hamburgers – 160oF. Cooking ground beef until the pink is gone is not always an indicator of thorough cooking as it can still be pink inside and cooked to a safe 160oF. Color is not always a true indicator.
- Ground and whole poultry – 165oF
- Chops, steaks and roasts from beef, veal or lamb – 145oF for medium rare, 160oF for medium and 170oF for well done
- Pork chops and roast – 150oF
- Fin fish – 145oF
- Shrimp, lobster and crabs – Cooked until the flesh is pearly and opaque
Wash your hands, cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water after
preparing each food item and before you go onto the next food. Always use a clean
plate and clean utensils for serving as cooked food should not be placed on the same
plate that previously held raw foods, including meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.
Don’t forget to make room for veggies and fruits on the grill too! The heat of the grill
caramelizes the natural sugars, resulting in loads of flavor without the need for added
sugar, salt or fat.
During the summer months, customers see an increase in locally
grown produce as the local growing season is nearing its peak.
Fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, corn, melon, peaches, and peppers are just some of the items Martin’s features from nearby farms.
Rinse all fresh fruit and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten and keep a separate cutting board for fresh produce to avoid cross-contamination during food preparation.
Remember to refrigerate any leftovers promptly after serving and within two hours after
cooking. Your home refrigerator should be set to maintain a product temperature of
40°F or lower. Food should only be outside one hour when the temperature is above
90oF. When in doubt, throw it out. Leftovers should be reheated until steaming before
serving.
Source: From a news release from Martin’s.
