By Taylor Sutton, MS, RDN, LD, United Supermarkets Registered Dietitian
Summer is here and that means it’s time for grilling season. Grilling adds a unique depth of flavor to foods, lets you pick up some vitamin D if you’re outdoors, and helps reduce the air conditioning bill at the end of the month since you use the stove and oven less. What’s not to love?! So brush off the grill and brush up on your internal meat temperatures:
Chicken – 165 degrees
Pork – 145 degrees
Seafood – 145 degrees
Red meat – 145 degrees
Skewers (1 inch cubes) – 150 degrees
The internal cooking temperatures of raw products are very important to reduce the risk of bacteria during consumption. Another thing to keep in mind when grilling is to change plates and utensils after placing the meat on the grill to avoid cross contamination. It is also important to clean your grill before and after use to remove previous dirt and debris. Here are some other tips to consider before firing up the grill:
Use a hard plastic brush scraper or a solid steel flat scraper for food safety purposes.
Be organized and ready to go with clean plates and utensils before removing items from the grill.
Try using different woods and even flavors depending on the types of wood.
Know the difference between direct and indirect heat before cooking
Invest in a meat thermometer
Rest meats before cutting
Cut off excess meat fat to prevent fires
When using skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes before
But the grill is not just for cooking meat! You can grill fruits and vegetables, which usually takes 6 to 20 minutes, depending on how hard or soft they are. You can also prepare main dishes like pizza, quesadillas, foil packets and even use it as a cooker with your stainless steel or cast iron skillets. The grill is such a universal cooking tool that we can’t wait to keep firing up delicious things week after week.
Grilled Naan
Ingredients
4 Naan breads
2 tbsp. Olive oil
3 tbsp. Za’atar
1 large roman tomato
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp. Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Grill the naan for 3 minutes on each side.
2. Brush all pieces evenly with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle zaatar evenly over all pieces.
4. Dice the tomatoes and garnish the naan.
5. Roughly separate the mozzarella cheese into small stringy pieces.
6. Place on a piece of foil.
7. Let the cheese melt and bubble for about 5-7 minutes.
