As summer is getting warmer, now is the ideal time to barbecue outdoors.
. Yet, high temperatures are also ideal for bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses. So, what are the safest methods of grilling and smoking for best food safety?.
Difference between Grilling and Smoking
Grilling is cooking food over heat directly by burning charcoal, wood, or special rocks, while smoking is cooking food indirectly over fire which is obviously much slower than grilling.
Marinating is key
Safe marinating breaks down connective tissue in meats; this is especially beneficial to enhance tenderness. Always marinate food in the refrigerator, and don't ever reuse the marinade from raw meat or poultry.
Keeping meat chilled is important to minimize bacterial growth. Use a well-maintained cooler with ice packs to keep the food at 0 °C and never allow raw meat to defrost.
After cooking don't use the same dishes and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Juices of raw meat have bacteria that can contaminate cooked meat. The salmonella bacterium is a prime cause of a food-borne illness that can spread through bad handling of raw meat.
Always fully grill meat and poultry and don’t ever leave it half cooked. This will destroy harmful bacteria completely.
This is a very old method of preparing all types of meat which was originated in prehistory to preserve foods for long periods, which would otherwise spoil quickly. The mechanism for this method is based on dehydrating meat tissues with the absorbed smoke, which causes the unique flavor of smoked foods considered as a delicacy in modern Cuisinart.The same precautions used while grilling meat must be applied in smoking them.