Grills have a reputation for being all about the meat. I have to agree that grills can do great things for the flavor of animal protein, especially meats that can safely be served to most people a little on the rare side. Use these tips to up the food safety and flavor at your next cookout.
Cranberry & Herb Turkey Burgers
Gobble, gobble these beauties right up. Made with lean turkey and packed with holiday flavor, these are an awesome choices for making a cookout taste festive in the summer.
View recipe »Temp Pros
Get yourself a good instant-read meat thermometer and bookmark the DHHS’s chart of minimum safe temperatures for different meats. You might like your food rare than is recommended, but keep in mind that guests with compromised immune systems will need to be especially careful about their meat temperatures. Give them peace of mind by knowing just how rare that steak or tuna is.
Char? No.
When it comes to meat, we may like the look of a few grill marks, but try to keep the charring to a minimum. Meat can contain chemicals that become carcinogenic when cooked to charcoal. Follow the advice of our dietitian, Allison Stowell, for keeping meat char to a minimum and save the charcoal for veggies.
Go Big
Meat can be one area where big cuts are better. Hamburgers sized to fit grocery store buns might overwhelm guests who only want a little meat on their plate. Large cuts like flank steak or sustainably-caught tuna are wonderful party choices. Meant to be sliced in strips to serve, these meat options make it easy for guests to choose just a little.
Last week’s tip: The Versatile Grill
Next week’s tip: Veggies and the Grill