Читать книгу Big Book of BBQ - Pippa Cuthbert - Страница 8

Food safety is an important issue when it comes to barbecuing, keeping in mind that it is usually a hot summer’s day when the barbecue comes out. When you’re barbecuing, the greatest risk of food poisoning comes from raw and undercooked meats. Bugs such as E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter can cause serious illness. Follow these simple steps to avoid illness:

■ Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meats.

■ Always keep your food cool, covered and out of the reach of animals and children.

■ All meats should be thoroughly defrosted before cooking. The best way to do this is to defrost them in the fridge overnight.

■ All marinated foods should be refrigerated until about 30 minutes before cooking unless a hot marinade has been used (see page 10). Take chicken out no longer than 30 minutes before cooking.

■ Use separate dishes to transfer uncooked and cooked meats and never combine the two.

■ Check your meat is at a safe temperature for eating; insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the flesh so it is as close as possible to the centre of the meat. Avoid contact with bones, which will give you an inaccurate reading. The temperatures should read approximately:

Beef/lamb/venison = 60–65°C (140–149°F) for medium-rare, 70–75°C (158–167°F) for well done. The meat should feel soft but firm and should still be juicy.

Pork = 65–70°C (149–158°F). The meat should be opaque throughout but still juicy.

Chicken = the flesh should be opaque throughout with no traces of pink and the juices should run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the flesh.

■ Don’t assume that meat charred on the outside will be cooked properly on the inside. Check that the centre of the food is piping hot, particularly when cooking chicken, burgers, sausages and kebabs.

■ Always have a bucket of sand nearby just in case the flames get out of hand.