Students eager to eat and socialize under the summer sun may want to take health and safety precautions before hosting cookouts or picnics. Barbecue experts say meat should be cooked properly to avoid E. coli and salmonella, and other precautions can ensure no one gets injured.
A barbecue hosted by ASUO candidates went awry in March when a propane tank explosion caused an estimated $80,000 in fire damage at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, where the barbecue was hosted.
Barbecue experts say cooks can avoid such dangers – in that case, by checking for propane tank leaks. Once the barbecue is safe, experts say its important to keep it that way.
Troy Black, chef for Southern Living magazine, said one of the most common mistakes people make is not cleaning the cooking grate after each use. Cleaning the grate helps the grill last longer.
“Starting off with a clean grate also keeps the meats from sticking to the grate,” said Black, who also sits on the board of directors for the Kansas City Barbecue Society, the largest barbecue contest sanctioning body in the U.S.
He recommended scrubbing the grate with a ball of aluminum foil.
Rick Bailor, who cooks and sells meat at Long’s Meat Market in Eugene, said ammonia water or oven cleaner can break food away from the grate.
Students should also take cooking methods into account when barbecuing.
A Mount Sinai School of Medicine study released in February revealed higher heat, lower humidity and longer cooking times increased the number of carcinogenic agents in barbecued food, which can create dangerous byproducts known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
HCAs cause cancer in lab animals, and may increase the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, stomach and prostate in humans, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. HCAs are created when red meat, poultry and fish are cooked under intense, high heat.
Bailor, a graduate of Barbecue University in West Virginia, said if someone is scared of carcinogens, precautions can be taken. He said meat should be cooked under lower heat but should still be reaching the proper internal cooking temperature.
He also said cooks shouldn’t let grease drip into the grill fire because the grease could rise into the smoke and get into the food.
Black said meats should reach a certain temperature to avoid E. coli and salmonella, which can cause life-threatening sicknesses, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain.
E. coli is one of the main species of bacteria living in the lower intestines of mammals, and salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of animals, according to the Centers for Disease and Control.
The CDC recommends cooking poultry and meat to the point they are no longer pink in the middle.
“Barbecue is not about time and cooking temperature, it’s about internal meat temperature that determines when the meat is done,” Black said.
He said cooks can buy an inexpensive meat thermometer to gauge the temperature of the meat. Black said to stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.
Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken breasts to 170 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Food should not sit out and should be served immediately, Bailor said. Hot foods should be kept hotter than 140 degrees, and cold foods should be kept colder than 40 degrees.
Bailor recommended storing or serving food right away.
Black said cooks should always wash their hands when handling different types of meat to avoid cross-contamination.
Bree Ervin, owner of Playing with Food cooking school for children in Eugene, said she recommends bringing sunscreen, water and bug repellent to picnics.
She also said picnickers should make a plan beforehand and tell a friend where they’re going.
Ervin said fruit, sandwiches, trail mix, nuts and cheese are easy to pack and provide nutritional value.
“It’s good to bring food with not just protein, but with carbs, too,” Ervin said. “It takes longer to break down protein to make energy.”
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Internal temperature guide
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures
Beef, pork, veal, lamb – 160 degrees F
Turkey, chicken – 165 degrees F
Fresh beef, veal, lamb
Medium-rare – 145 degrees F
Medium – 160 degrees F
Well-done – 170 degrees F
Poultry
Chicken and turkey (whole) – 165 degrees F
Poultry parts – 165 degrees F
Duck and goose – 165 degrees F
Source: United States Department of Agriculture
MORE TIPS
? BUY HIGH-QUALITY MEAT – “The quality of meat is important in producing a good, quality barbecue, whether it’s hamburger, ribs, beef or whatever,” says barbecue expert Troy Black.
? SAUCE LAST – Do not apply sauce until the last 15 minutes of grilling. Otherwise, the sugars and salts will burn and turn meat black.
Source: Troy Black