Grilling Tips for success and best hygiene practice when barbecuing.
Prepare Well
- Always wash your hands thoroughly – before preparing food and after touching raw meat and before eating..
- Keep pets away from food, dishes and preparation surfaces.
- Light barbecues 15-20 minutes in advance of cooking.
- Unless the cooking instructions state otherwise, ensure that raw meat is completely defrosted (in the fridge or a microwave) before barbecuing so that it cooks evenly.
- Make sure all cooking and eating utensils and work surfaces are spotlessly clean before use
Store Safely
- Keep serving bowls, food and utensils covered to protect from dust and insects
- Keep raw meats in a separate container to prevent contaminating other foods.
- Ensure that serving bowls, utensils and cooked and ready to eat food is not accidentally splashed with uncooked meat juices.
- At the barbecue only remove the lid of the insulated container when essential and only take out the quantity of meat that will fit on the barbecue.
- Always keep cold food cold and hot foods hot to stop bugs multiplying – don't leave food standing around..
Cook Thoroughly
- If you reheat food make sure it is piping hot throughout.
- Turn food regularly and make sure burgers, sausages and chicken are cooked until they are piping hot throughout, there is no pinkness inside, and the juices run clear.
- Make sure you follow any cooking instructions provided.
Observe Good Hygiene
- Never part-cook on a barbecue and finish cooking later. However, you can fully cook meat and chicken at home, keep it chilled, and then barbecue it to add flavour. This is the ideal way to avoid undercooking your chicken portions on the barbecue
- Always use separate utensils for transferring the raw meat and handling the cooked meat.
- Never put cooked food on plates that held raw meat.
- Clean all cooking and eating utensils and work surfaces after use.
- Throw away barbecued food left out for more than two hours in very hot weather.
- Always keep raw meats separate from other food even when cooking.