It’s barbecue time, so grab a meat thermometer and keep yourself and loved ones safe this summer.
safefood is encouraging all barbecue cooks to use a meat thermometer this season to ensure meat is cooked to 75°C.
safefood has partnered with Michelin star chef and judge on RTE’s Battle of the Food Trucks, Eric Matthews, to launch the safefood BBQ Bootcamp, a three-part IGTV series focused on cooking the most popular meats this summer – beef burgers, sausages, and chicken. Matthews will be demonstrating his tasty take on each of these favourites, using a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked to the recommended temperature of 75°C.
When cooking these meats, safefood’s three checks for ensuring they are safely cooked are: check the meat is piping hot, no pink meat remaining, and juices are running clear. However, placing a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat adds that extra layer of safety and confidence to help home cooks get it right every time.
Using a meat thermometer helps protect others from food poisoning caused by undercooking meat. As well as being easy to use, it also helps the taste and texture by not overcooking meat.
To use the meat thermometer, remove the meat from the heat. Insert a clean meat thermometer (dial or digital ) into the thickest part of the meat (usually in the centre, or for a chicken between the breast and leg ). The meat is fully cooked when the thermometer reads 75°C.
Wash your meat thermometer in warm soapy water after using and let it dry. Always clean it when switching between foods to avoid any cross contamination.
The safefood BBQ Bootcamp is available on both safefood’s and Eric Matthews' Instagram channel. Along with tips on ensuring your barbecue is safe, there are recipes for favourites such as beef burgers along with smoked piri piri spatchcock chicken with a summer vegetable slaw, and boerewors sausages served with a red pepper and chorizo sauce and a baked tomato salad.
“I’m delighted to be supporting the safefood ‘Trust the Meat Thermometer’ campaign," Eric Matthews said. "So much work goes into preparing for a barbecue with family and friends, so the last thing anyone wants is to undercook the food that is being served and risk making people sick.
"Using a meat thermometer takes all the guess work out of cooking and means that you can get on with enjoying yourself. And it couldn’t be any easier, you just pierce the meat with the thermometer at the thickest part and when it reaches 75°C you know you’re good to go."
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