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When the weather finally turns and grilling season officially begins, it’s essential not to get so excited that you bust out your favorite pair of tongs for that ceremonial click-clack and forget practical and essential food safety guidelines. One common mistake is handling raw meat with your grilling utensils and then using those same tongs or a spatula to move cooked food around the grill — or worse, plate it. Cross-contamination is a very serious risk, and it’s an easy way to spread Salmonella or other foodborne diseases if you use unwashed and unsanitized grilling utensils.
So, what can you do to stay safe and healthy this grilling season? The simplest solution is to have dedicated tools: One set for raw meat and ingredients and another for working the grill and serving, a hack that will change the way you grill food forever. Or, if you don’t have space (or energy) for double the BBQ utensils, consider your grill’s fire your friend for more than just cooking your meal. You can sanitize your tongs or spatula by placing them over the hottest part of the grill. Alternatively, you can close the grill for about a minute, leaving the utensil handles sticking out of a zone that remains unheated. This method will sanitize them, while the handles will be cool enough to grab. You’re also not letting a ton of heat out of the grill, which you would with a fully open lid.
More tips for safe grilling
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Obviously, cross-contamination risks go beyond your spatula and tongs. Wash any dishes or containers used to hold raw meat thoroughly with hot, soapy water. A quick rinse on a plate that looks “clean” after holding raw burger patties simply isn’t enough. Clean and sanitize anything that has come into contact with raw meat. If you’re pressed for time, throw the items in the dishwasher, but keep them away from food prep areas — and definitely don’t leave your dishes in the sink overnight, as that could shorten the life of your cookware. Always use a clean, platter tray, or plate for serving cooked food.
And if you use gloves to handle raw meat, remember that gloves don’t prevent cross-contamination if used incorrectly. If you wore gloves to put a bunch of chicken on the grill, discard them immediately and do your best to avoid touching everything on your way to the garbage can. Even then, you should still wash your hands just to be safe. Nothing ruins a grillmaster’s reputation quicker than food poisoning. Which leads us to a final, simple tip that every person with a grill should take to heart: Keep a small garbage bin near your cooking zone. Position it at a safe distance from the heat, and use it to discard gloves, raw juices, or scraps, so you’re not lugging them through the house.
Dining and Cooking