Many of our steakhouse customers also love grilled meats. The methods of cooking are different, but both produce some tasty results . And for them I have put together some simple tips to help in this area. For some grilling is a rite of passage. For others it offers the most amount of flavor in the shortest amount of time. But, like anything else you have to do it right or so I have been told by article after article of tips and tricks to be a great grill master.
One place I saw some interesting tips was a less known site called the Daily Burn. It mentioned a few tips that could be potentially useful. For our purposes here I am going to focus on an area that seemed the most important from the article. The area I am talking about is preventing contamination.
By contamination I mean pathogens and germs that occur during any part of the food process from acquiring the meat to actually grilling it.
Grill preparation For Steak And Other Meats
When the steak, beef, chicken, pork or fish is raw, make sure that it gets near NOTHING else. Make sure you have a separate plate and utensils. In fact relegate one side of the grill for raw food and one side for the finished cooked steak or meats. Do not even go out with less than two sets of plates and utensils.
Meat And The Unclean Grill
Some other things to watch out for are bacteria lurking on the unclean grill. Make sure to clean that grill often. Also make sure to run it on high heat for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking to ensure it is bacteria free. Also use a thermometer, especially with chicken and fish, to make sure it is actually done and you are in the safe zone before you eat it.
Steak Over The Open Flame
I have read that grilling can potentially create compounds that are carcinogenic. I am not denying that but I know people who have grilled every meal for the past 60 years who are in perfect health. The compounds in question are the byproduct of meat over the open flame, especially when burning or scorching takes place. Some of the ways to reduce the chances of this compound forming are
- Marinate your meat which coats it
- 1 to 3 minutes in the microwave can reduce the impact of potentially carcinogenic compounds forming
- Go with leaner steak or meat to reduce dripping fat which reduces flare ups which reduces the amount of potential scorching which reduces the chance of bad compounds forming.
Reference Article
The Grilling Mistake That Could Make You Seriously Sick. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://dailyburn.com/life/health/healthy-bbq-grilling-tips/