BBQ Basics- Do you want yours raw or dry?

An aside about food safety: raw meat can be very dangerous. Poultry, in particular, tends to be infected with Salmonella, which can kill you. Raw pork may give you Trichinosis which can also kill you. Raw beef, especially ground beef may have E-coli in it which can also kill you.

But…

Overcooked meat is crap.

If you like your beef or lamb rare, 115-125˚F is about when you want to pull it from the grill. Is that safe? The USDA says no. What should you do? I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice.

But, here are some things to think about: big pieces of meat (steaks, roasts, etc.) are much less likely to be contaminated than ground beef. And the bacteria are likely to be on the surface of the meat which reaches much higher temperatures than 165˚F. If you have your local butcher grind Chuck roast into burger for you, you’re much less likely to get contaminated beef. It’s likely to taste better as well. Almost anything can go into a commercial grinder.

Nobody cooks duck or pork to 165˚F because it would be shoe leather. Again, since duck and pork tends to be cooked whole or in relatively large pieces, the risk of contamination is low. Ground duck or pork is problematic.

I recommend the following guidelines: cook the meat until its internal temperature is high enough for you to feel safe, but not a moment longer. Here’s a thorough discussion of Bacterial Food Poisoning from Texas A & M.
Exercise caution with chicken and ground meat. If you cut into your food and think it’s undercooked, throw it into the microwave for a minute or two.

-S

---