- Store raw meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill it.
- Trim excess fat from meat to avoid flare-ups.
- Make sure your grill is hot before placing meat on it. Allow about 10 minutes for a gas grill to heat up and about 30 to 40 minutes if you are using charcoal briquets.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the meat has reached a safe internal temperature. Color and feel are not accurate ways to check doneness. Make sure the thermometer isn't touching any bone, as this could give a false reading.
- Plates, bowls, or utensils that touch raw meat should not be used once meat is cooked. Use clean plates and utensils for serving.
- Boil leftover marinade that touched raw meat (including for basting) for at least one minute before reusing.
- Never use cooking sprays around a lit grill.
- Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
How Hot Should It Be?
Confusion over the proper meat temperatures can be the pits when you're barbecuing.
Here's a quick reference for the proper temperature any cut of meat
should reach--whether cooked in the oven or on a grill--before you safely serve it to
friends and family.
- Beef: 145°
- Chicken: 180°
- Lamb: 150°
- Pork: 160°
- Turkey breast: 170°
- Whole turkey: 180°
