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Topic: Barbecues & Grills



Date Posted: Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Posted by: Tanya Zanfa (Master Admin)
Source: http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/611701/Fire-u...


Fire up the grill


Fire up the grill

Cooking outside on an open grill is more than just preparing a meal. It has become one of our most popular forms of outdoor entertainment, with 80 percent of households owning an outdoor barbecue, grill or smoker, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.

With grilling season upon us - Memorial Day is the second most popular grilling holiday, behind the Fourth of July, according to the association - it's time to pull that grill out of storage and give it a good cleaning before throwing that chicken leg or thick Delmonico on the grates.

There are several aspects of safety to consider first, said Dr. Jonathan Campbell, an assistant professor in the Penn State Department of Animal Science and a meat specialist with the Extension Office.

Article Photos

Courtesy photo
Try using a dry rub on your steaks, burgers and other grill meats this weekend for your Memorial Day cookout.

He personally learned the importance of checking hoses connecting propane or natural gas to the grill. Once, he failed to notice that his hose had leaks and the flame from the grill traveled down the hose.

"The tank erupted before I could turn off the gas," Campbell said. "I lost a grill and some hair along the way, but it could have been worse."

A critter had gnawed on the gas line creating several holes, so "just inspect it before you turn it on," Campbell said.

Of households that own grills, most - or 61 percent - own gas grills, followed by charcoal at 41 percent and electric at 10 percent, according to the HPBA.

And charcoal grills come with their own set of problems, Campbell said.

The image of a man squirting lighter fluid on a full flame comes to mind. Don't ever do that, he said.

Regardless of the type of heat source, have a fire extinguisher close by, and never put a grill in an enclosed area, such as a garage, or close to anything that could ignite, even a hanging plant, Campbell said.

"Always be aware of personal safety," he said.

And that includes food handling.

Ground meats and chicken should be cooked internally to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, he said.

That temperature will kill potentially deadly bacteria, such as salmonella, in undercooked chicken, said Sharon McDonald, nutrition, health and food safety educator for the Blair County Penn State Extension Service. Insert the tip of the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

She and Campbell said cross contamination could occur when raw meat comes in contact with vegetables or even cooked meat. Do not put cooked meat on the plate that brought the raw meat to the grill. "Wash it or get another one," McDonald said.

"Simple things like washing your hands appropropriately with good warm water and soap is important," said Campbell. That is better than using anti-bacterial gels, but those are "better than nothing."

From a nutrition standpoint, grilling chicken is far better than frying it, McDonald noted.

"You're not cooking the chicken in extra fats or oil," she said. "Plus chicken on the grill usually has the skin removed, so you're reducing fat that way, too."

"The big thing with grilling ... is charring it too much," McDonald added. "Some of that charring, research data indicates, might be cancer causing. Avoid too much of that if you're going to be grilling like that."

Burning or charring meats can transform natural substances in foods into carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which have caused cancer in lab animals, according to a University of Minnesota study. Reduce exposure to charred meats by cooking at a temperature below 325 degrees Fahrenheit; marinating food before grilling; and not cooking directly over the flame to keep dripping fat or marinade from creating flare-ups that lead to charring, researchers suggested.

Marinating helps tenderize some meat, as well as adds flavor.

Christine Violet with Rhodes Meat Market in Martinsburg said her store sells a popular dry rub made in Lancaster County that goes well on chicken or steaks. She said the most popular steaks sold there this time of year are Delmonico and New York strip, while "chicken legs and hot dogs are popular, too."

Violet said the ingredients for the dry rub include brown sugar, sea salt, chili powder, garlic, paprika, black pepper, mustard and cumin.

To make your own dry rub, here is a recipe from the Food Network's website.

Sweet and Hot Dry Rub

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pack on the dry rub on your next rack of ribs or chicken.

Store in an airtight container.



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