Cook

Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria. The safety of ground meat has been receiving lots of attention lately, and with good reason. When meat is ground, the bacteria present on the surface is mixed all through the ground mixture.

If this ground meat is not cooked to at least 160 to 165 degrees, bacteria will not be destroyed and there’s a good chance you will get sick. The interior of solid pieces of meat like steaks and chops don’t contain dangerous bacteria, so they can be cooked medium rare. Still, any beef cut should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees (medium rare). The safe temperature for poultry is 180 degrees. And solid cuts of pork should be cooked to 160 degrees. Eggs should be thoroughly cooked too. (Sorry – eggs over easy aren’t good for you any more!) If you are making a meringue or other recipe that uses uncooked eggs, buy specially pasteurized eggs or use prepared meringue powder.

I just learned from a few of my professors at the University of Minnesota, why chicken can’t be treated the same as red meat. Chicken must be cooked thoroughly, all the way through, with no pinkness, and an internal temperature of at least 170 degrees F. Chicken meat is less dense than beef or pork, and it’s much easier for bacteria to travel through the flesh.

Also, processing chickens is a much more invasive process than processing beef or pork, and bacteria usually are spread throughout the whole bird. So remember, chickens are always cooked to well done. Here’s information from the USDA: “Consumers with food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.
The hotline can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday, and recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.”

Separate cooked and uncooked foods, as well as foods eaten raw and those cooked before eating. Cross-contamination occurs when raw meats or eggs come in contact with foods that will be eaten uncooked. This is a major source of food poisoning. I always double-wrap raw meats and place them on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator so there is no way juices can drip on fresh produce. 

Seperate

Use the raw meats within 1-2 days of purchase, or freeze for longer storage. When grilling or cooking raw meats or fish, make sure to use a clean platter to hold the foods after cooking. Don’t use the same platter you used to carry the raw food out to the grill!

I also wash the tongs used in grilling after the food is turned for the last time on the grill, as well as spatulas and spoons used for stir-frying or turning meat as it cooks. Be sure to wash your hands after handling raw meats or raw eggs.

When I see a chef or presenter on a TV cooking show handling raw meat or raw eggs, then wiping his or her hands on a towel before preparing a salad or fresh fruit, I just shudder. It is crucial to wash your hands with soap and water or a premoistened antibacterial towelette after you have touched raw meat or raw eggs to avoid cross-contamination.

Now that you understand about cooking food properly and separating cooked and uncooked items both before and after cooking, it’s time to move on to the last two points. 

Cleaning

Cleaning is a crucial part of food safety. Wash your hands and work surfaces frequently when you are cooking and after you have blown your nose, been to the bathroom, touched a pet, or changed a diaper.

Plain old soap and water are very effective. If you slowly sing a verse of “Happy Birthday To You” while washing your hands, you will have washed them for the proper length of time.
If you are cooking for someone who is pregnant, is very young or old, has a chronic illness, or a compromised immune system, choose a soap with more sophisticated antibacterial qualities. I wash my hands 20-30 times while I am cooking, and my work surfaces are cleaned that often too.

I wash tongs, spoons, and spatulas after they have touched uncooked meats or eggs. I prefer using paper towels for drying my hands and my countertops. They are easily discarded and don’t carry bacteria to another surface. That habit may be environmentally incorrect, but I still do it – and no one has ever had food poisoning eating at my house.

One easy way to avoid cross-contamination is to use a large platter to cut raw meats. After the meat is prepared and is cooking, just put the platter directly into the dishwasher, along with any utensils used to prepare the meat. 

Chilling

Chilling food is very important. The danger zone where bacteria multiply is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Your refrigerator should be set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below; your freezer should be 0 degrees Fahnrenheit or below. Here’s a simple rule: serve hot foods hot, cold foods cold. Use chafing dishes or hot plates to keep food hot while serving.

Use ice water baths to keep cold foods cold. Never let any food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours – 1 hour if the ambient temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or above. When packing for a picnic, make sure the foods are already chilled when they go in the insulated hamper. The hamper won’t chill food – it keeps food cold when properly packed with ice.

Hot cooked foods should be placed in shallow containers, covered, and immediately refrigerated so they cool rapidly. 

What About Power Outages?

If the power goes out at your house, follow basic food safety rules. Perishable food is safe at room temperature for 2 hours when the temperature is below 80 degrees F. Above that temperature, you only have one hour before bacteria start to grow in unrefrigerated food. Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed. Open the doors as little as possible.

An unopened refrigerator should keep foods cold for up to four hours; you will still have to evaluate each item individually when the power comes back on. A freezer that is half full should keep foods frozen for 24 hours; a full freezer should keep foods frozen for 48 hours. ou can cover your fridge and freezer with thick blankets to try to insulate them and keep them as cool as possible.
For longer outages, you can try to find dry ice to pack into your freezer, but you must take special precautions handling it. If the power outages lasts longer than 4 hours, remove milk, meat, and dairy products from the fridge and pack them into a cooler with lots of ice.

Having an instant read food thermometer is crucial to determining food safety after the power comes back on. If refrigerated products are still below 40 degrees, they should be safe. Check to see if frozen foods still have ice crystals visible and that their temperature is below 40 degrees. You can then refreeze these foods, but there will probably be some loss of quality. 

Conclusion

And remember the most basic rule: When in doubt, throw it out. Any cost savings you may gain by keeping questionable food will cost you much more in terms of doctor and hospital bills if someone gets sick. Remember that cooking outside during a power outage on your charcoal or gas grill is a great way to keep the temperature inside your house as cool as possible.

Here’s more crucial information: check sell-by dates when shopping and tell the grocery store manager if you see any expired foods on the shelf. Don’t dawdle between the grocery store and your freezer or refrigerator at home. Never use food in cans that are bulging, leaking, rusted or dented. Thaw foods in the refrigerator. Bring all canned soups and gravies to a rolling boil before serving.

Do not serve food in non-food containers!! Things like flower pots and litter pans (for the Kitty Litter Cake (and even then I’d still use a large roasting pan myself) can only be used if the container is first well-lined with food-safe material, either another container, or a couple of layers of plastic wrap.

Not only are many containers made with lead, but they could be sprayed with pesticides while in the warehouse. Just be safe and choose containers and serving dishes made for food.If you study this information, safe food handling will become an ingrained part of your kitchen habits. They are second nature to me! And I enjoy cooking and entertaining more because I know I have done everything I can to ensure that the foods I serve family and friends is safe

Ingredients

1 5 -7 kg  Marks Hall  Free range Turkey
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 bunch of sage, thyme and rosemary
25g Butter, softened
1/2 lemon or orange

For the gravy

Turkey, giblets and neck
1 carrot, quartered lengthways
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 Onions, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 bouquet garni
25gFlour
1 small glass White Wine

Method

 1. Remove the turkey from the fridge 2-3 hours before you want to cook it, to allow it to reach room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 (if oven is fan assisted, use 160C).

3. Place the onion and herbs into the body cavity. Squeeze the juice of lemon or orange over the bird and put the fruit into the cavity. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

4. Smear the turkey skin with butter and then season with salt and pepper, starting with breast side up. Then flip the turkey and repeat on the underside.

5. In a large roasting pan, place the turkey ready to roast breast side down. This allows fat to trickle from the back down to the breast to keep it moist.

6. Roast the turkey upside down for the first 2 hours (or, slightly less for the smaller bird).

7. Remove the turkey from the oven. Now, turn the turkey right side up for the remaining cooking time (30 – 45 minutes). Protect your hands with thick towel or clean Marigolds. (You can wrap these in plastic bags to keep them clean.) Hold the drumsticks to turn the turkey.

8. Return turkey to oven for 30 – 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted. If the juices are pink, return the turkey to the oven and check again in 10 minutes. You don’t need to overcook the turkey as the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise as the turkey rests. A dry turkey is often just overcooked!

9. Remove turkey from the oven. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 30 – 60 minutes so the juices settle into the meat.

10. Carve the turkey into the pan juices to keep moist. Or use the juices to make gravy.

11. For the gravy: To make the stock, boil the giblets, neck, vegetables and bouquet garni.

12. Add enough flour to the roasting pan to absorb the fat and drippings and make a paste. Add a small glass of wine to the pan and make sure to scrape up all the drippings – all the flavour is in the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a saucepan.

13. Add about 500 ml stock to the saucepan with the bouquet garni and bring to the boil, then simmer until the gravy is reduced. You may need to add more stock if the liquid is too thick.

14. Season to taste, remove the bouquet garni and serve alongside the turkey in a gravy boat.

Ingredients
110g/4oz fillet steak
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ red onion, peeled and halved
110g/4oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.25cm/½in cubes
55g/2oz wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (chanterelle/pied bleu)
1 glass red wine
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas ½
2. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan.
3. Season and sear the steak for 1 minute on each side.
4. Add the onion and butternut squash and fry for 3-4 minutes.
5. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove the onion, squash and mushrooms from the pan and keep warm in the oven.
7. Deglaze the pan with the red wine.
8. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer and reduce for 2 minutes. Season.
9. Serve the steak and vegetables with the sauce drizzled over the top.

‘For succulent and tender meat, order online at www.tonyskitchen.co.uk’

Ingredients

• 2 Lamb shanks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups chopped vegetables including carrots, celery, potatoes
• 1 cup stock or boiling water with a bullion cube
• Seasoning – salt and pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, one bay leaf

Optional, and highly recommended:

• 3/4 cup raisins, soaked in sherry for a couple hours
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves

‘For succulent and tender free range poulty, order online at www.tonyskitchen.co.uk’

2 kg (4 lb) belly of pork, boned
75 g (3 oz) crustless white bread
6 large parsley sprigs
50 g (2 oz) pitted prunes
1 small onion peeled and halved
1 dessert apple, peeled and cored
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
salt and pepper

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Ingredients
450g/16oz lean beef mince
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
2 spring onions, sliced
handful basil leaves, chopped
olive oil for frying

Method
1. In a large bowl mix together the mince, garlic, tomato ketchup, mustard, egg, chilli and onion.
2. Dive in with your hands and mix until the ingredients are well blended.
3. Just before cooking, add the spring onions and basil to the mixture and divide into four patties.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the burgers.
5. Turn them once only, cooking for about 5-6 minutes each side. (Alternatively you can cook them under a grill for the same time turning half way through.)
6. Serve with burger buns and salad.

Beef Wellington

Serves:2
Preparation time:20-25 minutes
Cooking time:20 minutes

 
250 g Fresh Puff Pastry
1 Medium Egg, beaten
2 Fillet Steaks, weighing approximately 175g (6oz) each
Salt
113 g Pack Medium Coarse Mushroom Pate
Ground Pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven. Cut the puff pastry in half on a lightly floured surface. Roll out each piece as thin as possible. From each piece, cut a rectangle measuring 20cm x 15cm (8″ x 6″). Brush both rectangles with beaten egg.
2. Wipe the steaks with kitchen towel, season generously and place one on each pastry piece. Spread half the pate on top of each steak then fold the pastry to encase the steak completely. Seal the edges well and trim with a sharp knife.
3. Brush with beaten egg to glaze and place on a lightly greased baking tray. Cook at the top of the oven until the pastry is golden.

Serving suggestion
For a wine accompaniment try Blossom Hill Soft fruity Californian Red Wine. It is soft and mellow with red berry fruit aromas and a smooth easy finish.

Beef Stroganoff

This meal is easy to make, simply savour the beautiful combination of flavours experienced with every mouthful.

Serves:4
Preparation time:25 minutes
Cooking time:10 minutes

Ingredients
50 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
250 g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
500 g lean steak, cut into thin strips
200 g crème fraîche
300 g tagliatelle
Chopped parsley to serve

Method

1. Melt 25g butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion until soft.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat until golden. Remove from the pan and reserve.
3. Melt 25g butter over a high heat and cook the steak, in batches, stirring, for about 3-4 minutes until well browned. Be sure the fat in the pan is hot again before adding the next batch.
4. When all the meat is cooked, return it to the pan, add the onion, mushrooms and crème fraiche and warm gently.
5. Serve the beef on top of the cooked tagliatelle and top with chopped parsley.

Serving Suggestion:
For a wine accompaniment, try Boschendell Lanoy Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. A dry red with an appealing, expansive, fruity aroma.