AKA: How -NOT- to kill yourself and your entire family.
We've all (I hope) heard of Salmonella, but that's just one example of a hazardous bacteria that can find it's way into even the cleanest kitchens. There is one, and only one, sure-fire way to ensure that the food you are consuming is free of harmful bacteria: MILITARY GRADE EXPLOSIVES.
However, if you forgot to grab the Semtex while you were at the deli counter there are a few things you can do to avoid killing your entire family with flesh eating bacteria.
There I go with the science and math again.
Some kitchen thermometers do come with an optional pocket protector (highly recommended, not to mention stylish), but that's up to you.
The basic idea is to have food spend as little time in TDZ as possible. This means that frozen meat should be thawed in the refrigerator (not the counter top or sink) and raw meats should be kept cold until you are ready to cook them.
Poultry should always be cooked to 165 - 170 degrees, but whole muscle cuts of beef can be served safely at a juicy 125 degree rare. This is because bacteria propagates on the outside of meats, not internally. Since meat doesn't even start to brown until the surface reaches 230 degrees, most cooking methods such as searing, grilling and roasting will take care of any bacteria hanging out on the surface of your steak. Once the meat has been ground, however, the difference between internal and external is irrelevant and proper cooking is necessary.
Your family and friends will no doubt be impressed when you choose not to kill them at your next BB-Q...
We've all (I hope) heard of Salmonella, but that's just one example of a hazardous bacteria that can find it's way into even the cleanest kitchens. There is one, and only one, sure-fire way to ensure that the food you are consuming is free of harmful bacteria: MILITARY GRADE EXPLOSIVES.
However, if you forgot to grab the Semtex while you were at the deli counter there are a few things you can do to avoid killing your entire family with flesh eating bacteria.
1. Prepare food in a sanitary environment.
Anything that your food touches should be clean and free of bacteria. This means counter tops, cutting boards, cooking utensils, the refrigerator, the sink (probably the least obvious), and of course... your hands. Proper hand washing with some kind of anti-microbial soap is a must. Kitchen surfaces can be sanitized using a weak bleach solution (10:1 ; water : household bleach), but if you don't like the chemical smell, distilled white vinegar works just as well as a disinfectant. Vinegar is actually my preferred method of sanitizing cutting boards (and most other surfaces).2. Wash raw foods properly.
E. Coli has become a big concern in the fresh vegetable industry, but it can be easily defeated by properly sanitizing anything that will go into your mouth without being cooked. Items such as baby carrots, cucumbers, salad greens (including the bagged "ready to eat" variety), hand fruits such as apples and pears (you get the idea) should all be washed thoroughly before you put your lips on them. Once again, white vinegar is the champion in this arena. You may have seen costly "vegetable sanitizing spray" being sold at your local grocer, but the same benefit can be had at a third of the cost (and none of the chemicals) by putting some diluted white vinegar in an empty spray bottle and using it to clean your produce.3. Learn to recognize and effectively fly through the "DANGA' ZONE"
The Danger Zone (or "TDZ" in kitchen talk) is the range of temperatures where bacteria thrive and are able to reproduce unimpeded, like micro-rabbits hopped up on goofballs and Cialis. A reliable kitchen thermometer is a good buy, especially since these days they come relatively cheap. Here's what to do with it:Bacteria Control Table
°F- 212 Boiling point of water.
- 165 Cooking temperatures destroy most bacteria. Time required to kill bacteria decreases as temperature is increased.
- 140 Warming temperatures prevent growth but allow survival of some bacteria.
- 120 Some bacterial growth may occur. Many bacteria survive.
- 60 - 120 Incubation (DANGER) zone. Temperatures in this zone allow rapid growth of bacteria and production of toxins by some bacteria. Foods should move through this temperature range as quickly as possible to avoid microbiological spoilage.
- 40 - 60 Some growth of food poisoning bacteria may occur.
- 32 - 40 Cold temperatures permit slow growth of some bacteria that cause spoilage.
- 0 - 32 Freezing temperatures stop growth of bacteria, but may allow bacteria to survive.
There I go with the science and math again.
Some kitchen thermometers do come with an optional pocket protector (highly recommended, not to mention stylish), but that's up to you.
The basic idea is to have food spend as little time in TDZ as possible. This means that frozen meat should be thawed in the refrigerator (not the counter top or sink) and raw meats should be kept cold until you are ready to cook them.
Poultry should always be cooked to 165 - 170 degrees, but whole muscle cuts of beef can be served safely at a juicy 125 degree rare. This is because bacteria propagates on the outside of meats, not internally. Since meat doesn't even start to brown until the surface reaches 230 degrees, most cooking methods such as searing, grilling and roasting will take care of any bacteria hanging out on the surface of your steak. Once the meat has been ground, however, the difference between internal and external is irrelevant and proper cooking is necessary.
For a good guide on using your thermometer to cook meats to temperature:
Your family and friends will no doubt be impressed when you choose not to kill them at your next BB-Q...
Just make sure that they know it was a choice.
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