Serving
•• Always place cooked food in a clean
dish for serving, and use clean
utensils. Never use the same
plate that held raw
meat, poultry or fish to
serve the cooked meat.
•• Do not allow any cooked
food to sit out at room
temperature more than two hours.
Step by Step Preparation for
a Safe and Savory Burger
Total preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings.
1-½ pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns, split
•• When serving food buffet style, keep cold foods on
ice at a temperature below 40°F, and keep hot foods
above 140°F. Do not mix fresh food with food that
has been sitting out.
1. Wash your hands. Lightly shape ground beef into four ¾-inch
thick patties.
•• Refrigerate
cooked foods
no later than
2 hours after
cooking. Do
not allow
foods to
cool at room
temperature.
2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill,
uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes (over medium heat on preheated
gas grill, covered, 13 to 14 minutes), turning occasionally, until
instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center
registers 160°F. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Leftovers
•• Divide large amounts of leftovers into small
portions and place in shallow containers for quick
chilling.
•• Freeze or discard leftovers that you won’t eat within
a few days.
•• Cover and reheat leftovers to 165°F throughout. Stir
foods while you reheat them to ensure that all the
food reaches the appropriate temperature.
•• Never taste leftover food that looks or smells
strange. When in doubt, throw it out.
Food Safety Web Sites:
Gateway to Government Food Safety Information
www.foodsafety.gov
Beef! It’s What’s For Dinner
www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com
Plating
It Safe
•• Make sure to thoroughly clean any surfaces or utensils that
came into contact with the meat, and wash your hands after
you’ve formed the patties.
•• The color of cooked meat or juices is not a reliable indicator of
doneness, so use an instant-read thermometer to confirm your
burgers reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
•• Grilling times can vary depending on a number of factors,
including the cooking temperature of your grill and the
thickness of the patty. Always confirm doneness with an
instant-read thermometer.
•• Insert instant-read thermometer directly from the side into the
center of the burger. Allow about 15 seconds for an instantread thermometer to reach an accurate reading.
•• Place cooked burgers on a clean plate. Don’t place them on the
same plate that held raw meat.
3. About 2 minutes before burgers are done, place buns, cut sides
down, on grid. Grill until lightly toasted. Serve burgers in buns.
Top as desired.
Find more great burger recipes and beef safety information at
www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
For more information, please contact:
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
9110 East Nichols Avenue,
Centennial, CO 80112
[email protected]
A Market-to-Mealtime Checklist
to Help Keep Food Safe
E
veryone wants to make sure the meals they serve
are nutritious and delicious, but it’s also necessary
to think about how to safely prepare and store
food. Chances are you already know some food safety
basics, but it is important to brush up on that knowledge
and practice proper food safety every time you’re in the
kitchen.
America’s beef producers believe that producing safe
food is their number one priority, but there are also
steps you can take at home to contribute to food safety.
This brochure contains a checklist of specific things you
can do – from grocery shopping all the way to storing
leftovers – to cook with confidence at home.
Safety Checklist
Shopping
•• Keep your perishables out of
the danger zone by making the
grocery store your last stop when
running errands, and the meat
and dairy cases your last stop in the store.
•• Be sure refrigerated products are very cold to the touch
and frozen foods are still solid.
•• Do not purchase dated packages if the “sell by” date has
expired.
Keep out of the Danger Zone
Bacteria are found everywhere – in
soil, plants, animals and even in the
human body. While most bacteria
are harmless, some of them can
cause foodborne illness.
Bacteria grow quickly in the “danger zone”
between 40°F and 140°F, so it’s important to
keep your perishable food out of the danger zone,
whether you’re storing, thawing, preparing or
serving it.
Storage
•• Use a refrigerator and freezer thermometer to ensure
that your refrigerator is at or below 40°F, and your
freezer is at or below 0°F.
•• Space items in your refrigerator and freezer so air can
freely circulate.
•• Use refrigerated beef steaks, roasts and deli meats within
three to five days of purchase. All fresh poultry, ground
meat and fish should be used within one to two days of
purchase.
•• Never chop fresh vegetables or salad ingredients on
a cutting board that was used for raw meat without
properly cleaning it first. If possible, designate a separate
cutting board for preparation of raw meat, poultry and
fish.
•• Store raw meat, poultry and fish in a container or on a
dish that will prevent juices from dripping onto other
foods.
•• Thaw foods only in the refrigerator or microwave oven;
never leave food out at room temperature. Foods thawed
in the microwave must be cooked immediately, not
refrigerated.
•• If fresh meat will not be used within the allowable time,
ensure the meat is tightly wrapped and place it in your
freezer on the bottom shelf.
•• Clean produce well under cold, running water, and scrub
thoroughly with a clean brush when possible.
•• Follow the “use by” information on package labels. If you
cannot remember when a food item was placed in the
refrigerator, throw it out.
•• Label and date your frozen foods, and follow the “first in,
first out” rule.
Preparation
•• Wash your hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20
seconds before preparing food, as well as before and after
handling raw meat.
•• Keep raw meat, poultry
and fish and their juices
from coming into contact
with other foods during
preparation. Wash all utensils
and surfaces with hot, soapy
water after contact with raw
meat.
Avoid Cross-Contamination
Take a moment and think about all of the surfaces,
utensils, people and food that you touch when
preparing a meal. Bacteria can inadvertently spread
throughout your kitchen on unwashed hands, cutting
boards, kitchen utensils, countertops and sponges.
This is known as cross-contamination, and that’s
why it’s important to thoroughly clean anything that
has been in contact with raw meat, eggs or poultry
with hot, soapy water.
•• Marinate in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter.
Any leftover marinade that was in contact with the raw
meat should be discarded or brought to a rolling boil for
1 minute before using on cooked meat.
Cooking
•• Use an ovenproof or instant-read meat thermometer
to prevent overcooking or
undercooking.
•• Insert the thermometer into
the thickest portion of the
meat, not touching bone, fat
or the bottom of the pan.
•• For ground beef patties, insert the thermometer
sideways into the center of the patty.
•• Roast meats at oven temperatures of 325°F or above.
Product
Min. Internal Temp. (°F)
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb
Ground meats
160
Whole cuts (roasts and steaks, etc.)
145
Fresh Pork (all cuts, including ground)
160
Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)
165
Eggs
Yolk and white are firm
Egg dishes
160
Fin Fish
145
Shellfish
Until firm, opaque
Leftovers, casseroles
165