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TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Follow these helpful tips and techniques, passed on from Pit Boss owners, our staff, and
customers just like you, to become more familiar with your grill:
1.
FOOD SAFETY
•
Use different platters and utensils for the cooked meat than the ones you
used to prepare or transport the raw meat out to the grill. This will prevent
cross contamination of bacteria. Each marinade or sauce should have its own
utensil.
•
Keep hot foods hot (above 60ºC / 140ºF), and keep cold foods cold (below
3ºC / 37ºF). Cooked foods should not be left out in the heat for more than an
hour. Do not leave hot foods out of refrigeration for more than two hours.
•
A marinade should never be saved to use at a later time. If you are going to use
it to serve with your meat, be sure to bring it to a boil before serving.
•
Defrost and marinade meats by refrigeration. Do not thaw meat at room
temperature or on a counter top. Bacteria can grow and multiply rapidly in
warm, moist foods. Wash hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before
starting any meal preparation and after handling fresh meat, fish and poultry.
2.
COOKING PREPARATION
•
Be prepared, or
Mise en Place.
This refers to preparing the cooking recipe,
fuel, accessories, utensils, and all ingredients you require at grill side before
you start cooking. Also, read the entire recipe, start to finish, before lighting
the grill.
•
A BBQ floor mat is very useful. Due to food handling accidents and cooking
spatter, a BBQ floor mat would protect a deck, patio, or stone platform from
the possibility of grease stains or accidental spills.
3.
GRILLING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
•
Always use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of
the foods you are cooking. It’s a good idea to put cooked food onto a heated
platter, keeping the food warm. Red meats, such as steak and roasts, benefit
from resting for several minutes before serving. It allows the juices that were
driven to the surface by heat to ease back to the center of the meat, adding
more flavor.
•
Sugar-based sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent
burning and flare-ups.
•
Use a set of long-handled tongs for turning meats, and a spatula for turning
burgers and fish. Using a piercing utensil, such as a fork, will prick the meat
and allow the juices to escape.
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