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Chef: Outdoor cooking needs safety
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., (UPI) -- As the outdoor cooking season gets in full swing, backyard cooks need to keep safety in mind, a professional cooking instructor says.
Cooking on a grill or in a deep fryer presents hazards to the unwary, Ivan Petkov, a clinical professional instructor in hotel tourism and management at Purdue University, said in a release Friday.
If flames in the grill get too hot or high, Petkov says, don't use water -- cover it and cut oxygen to the fire.
Make sure to drain meats completely before grilling, he says, since fats in marinades can drip onto the fire and cause large flames.
"There also are a lot of safety issues when it comes to deep frying," Petkov said.
Don't overfill a deep fryer, don't use it on a wooden deck or near the house, keep children and pets away and don't leave the fryer unattended, he says.
Food safety is another important part of outdoor cooking and eating, Petkov said.
Cooked meat left out for two hours in the "danger zone" -- between 39 degrees to 141 degrees Fahrenheit -- should be microwaved for a minute and a half or grilled for two minutes to kill all germs. As soon as it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be safe to eat, Petkov said.
Petkov's final tip: "Take good care of your cook -- that's the rule!"
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., (UPI) -- As the outdoor cooking season gets in full swing, backyard cooks need to keep safety in mind, a professional cooking instructor says.
Cooking on a grill or in a deep fryer presents hazards to the unwary, Ivan Petkov, a clinical professional instructor in hotel tourism and management at Purdue University, said in a release Friday.
If flames in the grill get too hot or high, Petkov says, don't use water -- cover it and cut oxygen to the fire.
Make sure to drain meats completely before grilling, he says, since fats in marinades can drip onto the fire and cause large flames.
"There also are a lot of safety issues when it comes to deep frying," Petkov said.
Don't overfill a deep fryer, don't use it on a wooden deck or near the house, keep children and pets away and don't leave the fryer unattended, he says.
Food safety is another important part of outdoor cooking and eating, Petkov said.
Cooked meat left out for two hours in the "danger zone" -- between 39 degrees to 141 degrees Fahrenheit -- should be microwaved for a minute and a half or grilled for two minutes to kill all germs. As soon as it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be safe to eat, Petkov said.
Petkov's final tip: "Take good care of your cook -- that's the rule!"
