On the Grill
(Continued from page 28)
Next on the list of needed tools is a good external grill thermometer. Your grill
comes with a thermometer, but since you leave it outside all of the time, it could
rust or get damaged and may need to be replaced.
If your thermometer is showing wear or if you suspect the temperature reading
may be off, you may want to verify its accuracy. Insert the probe into a pot of
boiling water. If it is working correctly, it should register 212 degrees Fahrenheit (or
100 degrees Celsius), and, if not, make an adjustment to calibrate. On the underside
of most griU thermometers, there is a small nut that allows you to make adjustments
to calibrate the unit. If you need to check the temperature of many other objects,
you may want to consider purchasing an infrared unit, which comes in handy to
double check the thermometer as weU. If you cannot calibrate the unit, replace
it. Replacement thermometers are easy to find online (smokeware.com is a good
source), but not something that is readily found at your favorite supermarket.
Further, an instant read digital probe-style thermometer is a must to be certain
that your meat is cooked to the desired temperature. Be sure to choose an instant
read thermometer, which will report the temperature in a couple of seconds. While
analog probe thermometers are inexpensive and will work, they can get too hot to
handle without gloves or a pad, and your grill may cool down as you keep the lid
open for an extended period to read the temperature.
It is important to note that you cannot tell when chicken is safe by looking at the
color of the juices or the doneness of the skin. Chicken can often be undercooked in
the thighs as you try to make sure the breast does not overcook. Also, the difference
between a medium-rare and weU-done steak is pretty narrow, and the difference
between moist, tender fish and dry, chalky fish is even less. Two similarly sized cuts
of pork chops sitting side-by-side can cook at different rates. The breast and thigh
of a turkey are almost always at different temperatures. Cooking multiple burgers?
They’re all slightly different temperatures because your griU has hot spots. That
salmon filet has a thick end and a thin end. The only way to deliver properly cooked
meat to the table and protect against food borne illness is to take its temperature
with a rapid read thermometer.
Several local stores carry digital thermometers; one good brand is Taylor. The
most popular model sells for about $30 and has a timer, alarm and a probe that you
can leave in the meat. This sort is suitable if you are going to leave the food in place
(a Boston butt comes to mind) and not need to flip it over frequently, as when you
are cooking a steak.
Henry Soo of SlapYoDaddyBBQ.com (and a frequent champion on the barbecue
circuit) calls the Ihermapen Mk4, the “Lamborghini of instant read thermometers.”
These high-end thermometers come in a variety of colors, can be customized to
reflect your favorite sports team and are available on Mr. Soo’s website.
As mentioned above, some digital thermometers have a timer. It is important
that you have a timing device of some sort to keep you from losing track of time.
Time and temperature serve as indicators for good quality control. Practice will
help you come up with some general rules for your grill, as they all cook differently.
The nicest thing about digital probe thermometers is that they help to remove the
guesswork in your grilling and improve your mastery over fire.
I enjoy reading recipes, and my pet peeve on some is the missing element of
suggested cook times and the corresponding cooking temperature. I have a small
digital timer with a magnet and a flip out stand, but it also fits in my pocket. My
watch also allows me to set a timer, as do many phones. Find one you like, and use
it. Keep a check on the temperature of your meat, and your food will turn out well.
The USDA website at usda.gov gives recommendations for proper temperature
ranges for different foods. In addition, YouTube and other internet sites are good
sources of guidelines and information. The Big Green Egg website at biggreenegg.com,
and websites of many other grill manufacturers, offer excellent recipes for a variety of
items from biscuits to steaks that you can cook/bake on your grill. Bon app^tit.
FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR
Have You Heard... ?
Carteret Literacy Council offers training. Become a volunteer tutor after
attending a four-day class to learn how to teach reading, writing, math, English as
a second language (ESL), citizenship skills and life skills. Classes will be held from
noon to 3 p.m. on September 20,22, 27, 29, and those who wish to become tutors
must attend all classes. To register, call Karen Lasko at the Carteret Literacy Council
at 808-2020 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday-Friday.
United Way benefits Carteret County. United Way of Coastal Carolina
announces funding to 18 local health and human service programs across 15
agencies serving individuals in Carteret, Craven, Jones and Pamlico counties. This
funding is made possible by the generosity of individuals who designated their
donation to United Way’s Community Fund during the 2015 campaign.
United Way mobilizes resources to benefit local programs aligned around
education, income and health. Currently, 48% of the total allocations funds
programs that provide health care, counseling and victim services (health
programs). The remaining 52% funds programs providing life skills and promoting
learning beyond the classroom (education and income). For the 2016-17 funding
year, the United Way of Coastal Carolina will provide $50,000 to fund the following
programs located in Carteret County: Boys 8c Girls Club (Project Learn in Beaufort
and Morehead City), Broad Street Clinic (Diabetic Testing for Health program),
Carteret County Domestic Violence (Crisis Intervention 8c Shelter program) and
Coastal Pregnancy Care Center (LIFEguard program).
The United Way of Coastal Carolina had its beginnings in the Coastal Carolina
area in 1957. On Tuesday, September 27, United Way of Coastal Carolina will kick
off its 60th anniversary campaign. Visit unitedwaycoastalnc.org for a complete list
of program funding.
Untreated hearing loss affects brain
structure and function. When a person
is affected by untreated hearing ioss,
their auditory cortex becomes
“atrophied” due to the tack of
sound stimutation. Treating hearing
toss in a timely matter, however,
can help offset this.
Call today to reserve your complimentary
no-6bligation hearing consultation.
CRYSTALCOAST
HEARING
305 Commerce Ave., Suite 101 • Morehead City
(252) 648-7373
www.crystalcoasthearing.com
Did you know?
Hearing loss
has been linked
to a three-fold
increase in risk
of falling.
Jackie Jaloszynski, Au.D
Doctor of Audiology
Home visits available - we come to you when you can’t come to us!
September 2016 I The Shoreline
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