Safety Tips for National Grilling Month

It’s national grilling month, and as temperatures begin to rise, there’s nothing like outdoor grilling to soak up the sunshine!

Before you fire up your grill, the city is reminding residents and visitors to use a few simple outdoor cooking tips to make sure your backyard cookouts are safe and enjoyable.

Separate

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood items should be the last items to go in your grocery cart. Separate these raw food items from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags. Use individual plastic bags for each raw food item to protect against cross-contamination.

Chill

Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until you are ready to grill. Keep these items below 40°F during transport and use an insulated cooler.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Don’t forget to also wash work surfaces, utensils, and the grill before and after cooking.

Cook

Meat and poultry color is not a good indicator of safety. Use a food thermometer to check that meat is cooked enough to kill harmful germs. If you use a smoker, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat a safe temperature while it cooks.

  • 145°F – whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (stand-time of 3 minutes at this temperature)
  • 145°F – fish
  • 160°F – hamburgers and other ground beef
  • 165°F – all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs

After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot at 140 °F or warmer until it’s time to serve.

Check your grill and tools

Clean the grill with a moist cloth or paper towel before cooking. Bristles from wire bristle brushes can also dislodge and stick into food the next time you cook. Check the grill’s surface before cooking to make sure no wires are stuck.

Don’t cross-contaminate

Toss marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices to avoid spreading germs to cooked foods. Harmful bacteria in raw meat and juices can contaminate cooked food; use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill.