If you love grilling all types of food as much as I do, it’s never too early or late to get out the cookbooks or read up on some new grilling tips. I think a good place to start would be to refresh your memory on some great safe grilling techniques and tips. It doesn’t matter what kind of grill you own, most of you will be grilling meat and poultry this summer. Safety concerning meat really begins in the grocery store. Make sure your meat is packaged in different sacks from each other. You don’t want to contaminate your beef with chicken, or have any meat drippings get on other food. Make sure the ride home is a cool one. Air conditioning is mandatory for keeping meat cool and if you live a distance from the store or you make a special trip to the specialty meat market across town; bring a cooler along with you. When you get home, put it in the refrigerator immediately and or freeze it.

If you enjoy marinade, make sure you use it safely also. Marinades are nice for lean meat with little fat marbling, just make sure you do this in the refrigerator and not on the counter top. Never ever reuse marinade that has been on raw meat because bacteria will be present. I don’t like to partially cook meat even if it cuts down on grilling time. If you choose to do this, precook just before grilling so it is not held for a length of time. Your meat still needs to reach a safe temperature before it is ready to eat. When you are preparing meals, it has never been more important to use more than one cutting board than now. Cross contamination with other foods is so easy to do and bacteria will make you sick in a hurry. Cutting boards for raw meat and poultry are best if made of plastic or glass. Use a different board for bread and yet another for vegetables. All of them should be washed in the dishwasher and or sanitized with a teaspoon of bleach in a gallon of water; rinse and pat dry. If you really have a worn board, get rid of it and get treat yourself to a new one. You can never have too many cutting boards. I like having plates and equipment that I use only for grilling. That way I don’t have to worry about finding just the right stuff when I am busy entertaining. My grilling things are all in one place and I don’t use them for anything else.

When it comes to grilling and smoking meat I suggest buy the best quality products you can afford. Keep the grill away from trees, bushes, furniture and in a very well-lit, well-ventilated area. Teach the kids that it is never allowed to run and play around the grill even if nothing is cooking at the time. That will get them in the habit of staying away from it. Pets need to stay away from the fire as well. Don’t wear clothing that is baggy or have sleeves that drape down into the fire. Have a fire extinguisher close at hand for emergencies. Once a fire is started never move the grill for any reasons. If you are grilling indoors, obviously you wouldn’t use a charcoal or grill that is not adequately vented. Grills for the indoors are becoming very popular, but they are specially installed for that purpose. Avoid peeking at the food because this let out heat generated for proper grilling temperatures, but it is also dangerous because steam is extremely hot and can quickly burn you.

After cooking the meat at home or at a picnic, keep it hot by setting it on a top rack of the grill. Don’t keep it on the lower grill next to the coals because it will overcook. The goal is to keep hot food at 140 degrees or higher when holding. If your party is on a very hot day, don’t let your food sit out for more than an hour. You’d be surprised how quickly bacteria can grow. Just follow these few common sense safety tips when it comes to grilling and you will have a safe outdoor barbecue for you and your family to enjoy.