Start off the summer right with these five safe grilling tips that are simple to follow and so important to keeping food safe!

Thanks to Michigan Beef Industry Commission for sponsoring this post.

With summer officially beginning and the 4th of July just around the corner, outdoor barbecues and parties are just the beginning of this glorious time of year. Of course with barbecuing comes some simple rules you should follow to keep everyone safe and enjoying the party. With a little planning and attention to detail you can have a flawless party with everyone staying safe and avoiding foodborne illnesses.

5 Tips for Safe Grilling

Keep raw meat at the bottom of your refrigerator and away from cooked food.

Package raw meat in sealed plastic bags to avoid meat drippings and cross-contamination of other foods.

Thaw Properly.

When thawing meat, the safest way is in the refrigerator.
If needed sooner, you can thaw meat under constant cold water or in the microwave if meat will be grilled immediately after thawing.

Always use a meat thermometer.

Place the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, not touching any bones.
Cook all raw beef steaks to at least a minimum internal temperature of 145°F before removing meat from the heat source.
Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F
Allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or eating.

Use different plates.

Bring meat to the grill on one plate and use another clean plate to remove the meat once it’s done cooking.
If using a marinade, do not reuse the marinade once it has been used with raw meat.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Place cooked foods back in the refrigerator as soon as possible. The maximum amount of time cooked beef should be left out is about 2 hours, but that’s at room temperature and since most barbecues and picnics are outdoors, meat heats up much quicker into the danger zone. Place in refrigerator within 1 hour if temperatures are over 90°F.

When it comes to grilling recipes the possibilities are endless. I’m especially a big fan of burgers and steaks. You can of course get creative with burgers like in the video below. And with steaks I love to grill them for salads, tacos, fajitas and more!

And a few of my personal favorites include:

Southwest Grilled Steak Fajitas

Grilled Steak and Vegetable Kabobs

Southwest Beef Burger with Cilantro Lime Aioli

I hope these tips and recipe ideas help you get started off right to enjoy a safe and healthy summer!

Want to learn more about the beef industry in addition to more delicious recipes and nutrition tidbits? Check out Beef It’s What’s for Dinner.

This 5 Safe Summer Grilling Tips [with beef!] post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.

5 Tips for Safe Grilling

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