Arguably the best thing about the traditional BBQ party is the meat. From steaks to burgers to sausages to chicken wings and thighs to kebabs and everything else in between it is the meat that can make or break a BBQ. Ask a group of people what makes a memorable BBQ and many of them are likely to say the meat. However, when hosting a BBQ you want your meat to be remembered for its look, texture, smell and taste and not for the after effects it had on your guests.
If the meat is treated incorrectly during storage, handling, preparation or cooking it may be a potentially dangerous and cause a whole range of different diseases and ailments for the guests, including things like sickness and diarrhoea, bacterial infections, worms, stomach bugs and up-sets, nausea, headaches and even death. Because of the potential dangers associated with eating meat, it is important that meat is correctly dealt with, in all respects, when hosting a BBQ.
When storing meat before cooking or grilling on the BBQ it should be housed in a sealed refrigerator, where it can be kept cold out of the sun. If there is not enough room in the refrigerator, which often happens when we get enough meat for a large family cook out, keeping the meat in a sealed cool box will suffice in the short term however it is important to keep topping up the ice packs to regulate the temperature and keep it nice and cool. Keeping the meat cold and in a sealed container not only prevents it from drying out in the sun but also prevents any nasty bugs and insects from infecting the meat, as well as slowing down the growth of bacterial colonies.
When handling and preparing meat you should ensure your hands are always clean and thoroughly washed. Always keep raw meat and cooked meat separate and never touch raw meat after cooked without washing your hands first, and vice versa, as this may lead to cross contamination, which is not good. In addition to this, cooked meat should have its own chopping board, carving plate and preparation surface as well as its own set of utensils, i.e. knives and serving implements, as should raw meats.
The art of any BBQ is making sure the meat is properly cooked. Whilst no-one wants a tough, burnt and overcooked piece of meat that resembles a piece of old boot and tastes like a bit of charcoal, a raw offering is even worse and potentially dangerous. There is a fine line between soft, succulent meat that is properly cooked and a piece of raw meat, and mastering this balance is not an easy task. And, to make things worse different types and cuts of meat have to be cooked for different amounts of time to ensure they are safe to eat.
For example, a raw steak is safe to eat, and there are many people that like their streak to be cooked ‘blue’, which is where the steak is grilled for around a minute on each side before being served. Cooking steak this way needs a very hot grill to kill the bacteria on the surface of the steak and seal the meat, and to leave the inside pink and bleeding. On the other hand, a pork chop needs to be properly cooked all the way through for it to be safe to eat. A pork chop needs to be grilled on a lower heat for a longer period of time to ensure the meat is cooked all the way through.
When grilling meat on a BBQ a good way of ensuring it is cooking all the way through and not burning the outside and leaving the middle raw is to regularly douse the meat with water from a spray gun. This will keep the outside cool and moist and preventing it from cooking too quickly. To ensure the meat is cooked prior to serving use a thermometer and check the temperature. As an additional check you should always make an incision in the meat at the thickest point of the cut to assess the colour of the liquid that oozes out of the cut. If you have any doubts whatsoever over the meat don’t serve it and continue to cook it, even at the expense of overcooking the meat since it is better to be safe than sorry.
Written by yackers1
ACCA qualified accountant who thirives in the world of business and finance
