Crash Course
3. Using the same cutting board, platter, knife, or other utensils for raw and cooked animal proteins—especially poultry.
To avoid food-borne illnesses and the ruination of your reputation as a grill master, never allow cross-contamination to occur in your kitchen or grill-side.
4. Serving rare burgers.
More scary food safety stuff. If you can ask for a rib-eye cooked medium-rare, why not a medium-rare hamburger? Because while bacteria lives on the outside of steaks, it can live inside ground meat. Currently, the USDA recommends that burgers made with ground meat be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
(Ground poultry is an exception: It should be cooked to 165 degrees.) Don’t eyeball doneness: Use a reliable instant-read meat thermometer.
5. Positioning a grill too close to your house.
We see it all the time on social media—people sharing photos of grills that are scarily close to a house, deck railing, garage, or other structure. At a minimum, leave at least 3 feet—and preferably 10 feet–between your grill or smoker and combustibles. (And don’t forget hanging branches or pergolas.)
6. Moving the grill or smoker to the garage or the vestibule of your tent.
Carbon-based fuels like wood and charcoal give off carbon monoxide as they burn. In an enclosed or partially enclosed space, the levels can become toxic—even deadly. Don’t let rain or snow force you into a dangerous situation.
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