How To Avoid Food Poisoning At A BBQ
BBQs are somewhere you really need to avoid food poisoning! They are a typical English thing, as soon as the sun comes out. Sunny day, let’s have a barbie. Bank holiday weekend, let’s have a barbie. Been a good day, let’s have a barbie! And you can get some really great recipes for BBQs too.
They can be really healthy because there is no cooking oil needed to cook the meat in. When you have a BBQ, you also have a side salad too. That helps to keep you on your diet and makes sure you are full. But you need to avoid food poisoning at a BBQ too, here we have some tips to help you enjoy it.
Wash Your Hands
This is the most obvious one because we should do this every time we cook anyway. Always wash your hands with soap and hot water before you start cooking.
Then wash them within a few seconds after you have touched the uncooked meat. If you touch uncooked meat and then touch cooked meat, you will contaminate it and it can lead to food poisoning.
You also need to make sure that your BBQ is clean before you use it. You can clean the grills with hot water and soap. Or if you have room in the dishwasher, pop them in there to avoid food poisoning.
Make Sure The Food Is Fully Cooked To Avoid Food Poisoning
Of course, this is an obvious one, but for some reason, meat like chicken never seems to cook properly on a BBQ. Then eating the uncooked food, will cause you to become ill with food poisoning.
With some food, like chicken, it is better to cook it in the oven. Then finish it off on the BBQ, to get that smoky finish.
Another way to make sure it is fully cooked is to slice the food in the middle. You can then ensure that it is cooked through and you can see the steam. E-Coli and Salmonella are harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning.
So when you cook your food, make sure there is no pink meat in the middle of the meat. Cooking thoroughly kills these harmful bacteria and ensures you have a fun BBQ.
The easiest way to see if it is cooked is to use a Thermapen food thermometer to make sure it is hot and cooked through. Food thermometers have a digital screen to read the temperature.
I use the Thermapen food thermometer and find it so helpful. There are so many things I check and it has not failed me yet! I check most meals with it and ensure they are over 70°c throughout, especially when microwaving foods to ensure they are hot through.
Some of them also beep when it is hot enough to be cooked through. Using a thermometer is better than guesswork and also helps to avoid food poisoning after you have eaten the food.
Don’t Leave Food In The Sun For Too Long
I know what it is like, you prepare everything, get the food out by the BBQ and then you have a few beers. But the food is slowly warming in the sun, and bacteria are growing on it.
Also after you have cooked the food, it needs eating immediately because if it is left in the sun or even at room temperature it can give you food poisoning.
Food that isn’t eaten can be left to cool down and then put in the fridge, where it should keep for a couple of days.
Make Sure The Food Is Fully Defrosted
Although there are some meats that cook better on a BBQ if they are cooked from frozen.
There are foods that should always be defrosted before you cook them. Chicken and prawns are popular at a BBQ, these should always be defrosted in a fridge before you need to cook them.
You also need to remember that food takes longer to cook when it is frozen. So you might find it burns on the outside before it cooks on the inside.
Cover Food Over When It Is Out Of The Fridge
Uncovered food is going to attract flies and other bugs in the garden. So buy some net covers to pop over the food and keep the flies away.
They are not only a nuisance but they can contaminate your food too. Leaving you feeling ill. It would be awful if someone was ill after leaving your BBQ because you didn’t cover the food over.
Make Sure Cooked And Uncooked Food Is Kept Separately
This is something that we all learn when we start cooking lessons at school. Always keep your uncooked meat at the bottom of the fridge and your cooked meat, higher up.
This is so that if the uncooked meat drips any blood or juices, it will not drip onto your cooked meat and contaminate it.
The same rule goes for when you are having a BBQ, do not put your uncooked meat and your cooked meat on the same plate or even anywhere near each other. You do not want anyone eating a burger that has uncooked juices dripped onto it.
Also keep the uncooked food away from foods such as salads etc, because you do not want your washed vegetables being contaminated.
