HELPFUL HINTS FROM EXPERTS Top Ten Outdoor Cooking Tips (NAPSA)—Here’s food for thought from NextDayGourmet. com to help keep your family’s next picnic or barbecue safe and enjoyable: 1) Never thaw meat at room temperature. Thaw uncooked meatin therefrigerator. 2) If you marinate the meat, do so in the refrigerator. Discard the marinade after use because it contains raw juices, which may harbor bacteria. If you want to use the marinade as a dip or sauce, reserve a portion before adding raw food. 3) If yow’re using the grill for the first time in a long time, wash it. Contrary to popular belief, a grease-encrusted grill does not add flavor to the food. 4) Use cooking spray or oil on your grill to preventing sticking. Do not apply cooking spray to a lit grill. 5) Trim excess fat off steaks and poultry. Dripping fat can cause grill flare-ups. 6) Do not add sugaryor oily sauces or marinades to foods on the grill. This causes burning. 7) Use the proper tools when grilling. Using tongs to flip the food is recommended as piercing the food can cause juices to drip and burn. 8) The secret to good barbecuing is turning the food only once. Lift the edgeof the food,if the lines from the cooking grate have started to turn black, it’s time to turn. According to Ne, NextDay Gourmet.com, when it comes to great grilling, safety is no accident. 9) Meat and poultry on grill often brown very fast on the outside. Use a meat thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food away from bone, fat or gristle. Steaks should be cooked to at least 145F internal temperature, hamburgers should be cooked to 160F and poultry to 180F. 10) When taking food off the grill, do not put cooked items on the same platter that held the raw meat. For more information on grilling safety as well as grilling accessories such as steak weights, brushes and meat thermometers, visit the Web site www.NextDayGourmet.com.
