Grilling tip: Clean your grill as safety measure

Posted: May 13, 2014 - 9:02pm

Grilling safety

Karen Blakeslee, food science extension associate for K-State Research and Extension and coordinator of the Rapid Response Center, said no matter what type of outdoor cooker you have — gas, charcoal or electric — it should be cleaned before using it this grilling season.

“The heat does burn off a lot of food particles, but it’s a good idea to use a grill brush and scrub it well,” Blakeslee said. “If you can take the grill off, scrub both sides so you can get as much charred residue off as you can. If there’s any grease left from last year, try to scrape that off, too.”

Also clean out leftover charcoal, ashes and wood from the last outdoor cooking season, and make sure vents are clean and not plugged up. For a gas grill, make sure propane connections are tight and hoses aren’t cracked to prevent potential gas leaks.

Once the grill is clean, make sure the area around the grill is also free of debris that could have collected through the winter, and stabilize the grill on a flat, cement surface.

Grilling is no different than cooking inside your kitchen, because the same food safety principles apply to both, Blakeslee said.

When preparing meat for grilling, it is best to thaw it out first, so it doesn’t take too long to cook on the grill. Thaw meat in the refrigerator, so it stays cold while it is thawing.

“For some smaller foods, such as hamburgers, it would be fine to put them frozen on the grill, but you’ll end up with a better product, not overcooked or charred, if you thaw it out first,” she said.

When transferring meat from the kitchen to the grill, keep the raw meat on one plate and the finished, cooked meat on another plate, or wash the plate in between the transfer to and from the grill. Apply the same method of separating or washing with utensils used for raw and cooked meat.

Also marinade meat in the refrigerator. Once the meat is taken out of the marinade, dispose of the leftover marinade. Some people like to use the marinade as a glaze on the cooked meat, but they must bring it to a boil first to kill any bacteria.

Use a thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked to the proper safe temperature and to lessen the chance of overcooking. The internal temperature should be taken in the middle of the cut.

“For example, if you are cooking burgers, insert the thermometer into the side so that more of the thermometer stem actually gets into the meat and you get a good reading,” Blakeslee said.

Ground meat products should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. All poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees, and steaks and pork chops to at least 145 degrees.


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