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Every summer, millions of Americans fire up the backyard barbecue and slap on that all-American favorite - the burger. For all those carnivores contemplating that mouth-watering first bite, remember that an undercooked hamburger can be an invitation to food poisoning.
Ground beef is a happy hunting ground of dreaded E.coli O157:H7 bacteria, and is responsible for most cases. However, contaminated bean sprouts or fresh leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach have also been associated with the illness. While E.coli O157:H7 is the leading cause of foodborne illness, the number of cases has dropped in recent years because of increased awareness. Still E. coli can be deadly. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potential complication of E.coli O157:H7 infection, is still the leading cause of acute kidney failure in children.
How can you make sure that your cookout doesn't turn into a medical disaster for you or your guests? One way is to follow this "recipe" for cooking the world's safest hamburger:
Keep it cool. Before grocery shopping, put a cooler containing an ice pack in your car or trunk.
Be prepared. Purchase a quick-read digital meat thermometer, if you don't already own one.
Be timely. Select your package of ground beef close to the end of your shopping excursion; certainly after you've gotten all your canned goods, paper products and fresh produce.
Reach out. Select a package of ground beef or hamburger patties from the back of the refrigerated case and from the bottom of the stack, where the temperature is lowest. Make sure the "sell-by" date is not expired. If you really want to be safe, have the butcher take a whole piece of sirloin and ask to have it ground into hamburger meat while you wait. Freshly ground meat is less likely to harbor high bacterial loads than older ground beef.
Be picky, not sticky. If the package is wet or sticky, don't buy it. Better yet, report the situation to the meat department manager.
After choosing your package, bag it. Put your package of ground beef into a plastic bag, and close it with a twist-tie. Many stores have begun to provide these bags in the meat section. If yours doesn't, take a bag from the produce section.
Separate it. Place meat in an area of your shopping cart that is physically separated from fresh produce, partially bagged bread or anything else that is to be eaten uncooked.
Wash up. Wash your hands with soap and warm water if a bathroom is conveniently located or use a waterless hand sanitizer.
At check out, bag separately. Ground beef and other raw animal products should be bagged together, with no other groceries, particularly fruits and vegetables. (Remember to put the bag containing the ground beef into the cooler you had placed in your car.)
Drive directly home. Don't run errands en route. If your ground beef warms up for a long enough period of time, any germs that may be present will have time to multiply.
Refrigerate promptly. Place the meat into your refrigerator as soon as you get home.
Defrost carefully. If you are freezing the hamburger, be sure to put it back in the 'fridge to defrost 24 to 48 hours before you are planning to use it. NEVER defrost at room temperature. If you forgot to defrost the meat, defrost it in the microwave then prepare and cook it immediately afterward.
Heat up. Fire up the barbecue grill so it's nice and hot when the hamburgers are ready to cook.
Wash up. Before making the hamburger patties, wash your hands with regular (non-antibacterial) soap and warm water for 20 seconds then dry with a paper towel before handling your ground beef.
Spice it up. Season your ground beef with garlic, onion, oregano, pepper, parsley, basil or other spices that you like, or throw in some salsa or hot sauce. Studies have shown that many spices are excellent bacteria killers. Form hamburger patties, and put them on a clean plate before taking them to the grill. Wash your hands again after making patties.
Cook simultaneously. Using clean hands or a clean spatula, place as many patties as possible onto the hot grill. Close grill cover.
Avoid cross-contamination. Put the plate that had held the raw patties into the dishwasher, and put a clean serving platter near the grill. Wash your hands or the spatula that came into contact with the raw patties. Use your clean spatula to flip the partially cooked patties, then wash spatula again, or get a second clean spatula to remove the burgers when they are done.
Take the temperature. When the burgers appear done, place your digital meat thermometer about 1/4-inch into one of the patties and wait 15 seconds. If the patty is thin, insert the thermometer horizontally. If the internal temperature is 160 degrees F or greater, the burger is safe; any bacteria that were in the burger previously are now dead and harmless. If the temperature is below 160, leave the burger on the grill and wash the tip of your thermometer with dish soap and water. As the temperature of each burger reaches 160 degrees or higher, transfer to the clean serving platter using your clean spatula. Keep raw and cooked patties separate. Do not begin cooking any remaining raw patties until you have removed all the cooked patties from the grill.
Basically this means no rare or even medium rare burgers! If you must have your burger with a hint of red, buy the sirloin whole, have your butcher grind it into hamburger for you and cook it that same day.
Wash your hands again. Contaminated hands can transfer foodborne germs to hamburger buns or other food items. Get 'em while they're hot. Encourage your guests to eat the burgers while they're still hot.
A note about hot dogs
Because they are cured and vacuum-packed, frankfurters generally are considered safe. However, there is still a chance of illness. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching uncooked hot dogs. On the grill, don't let the dogs come into contact with other foods, such as burgers or chicken. Allow hot dogs to cook until their internal temperature is 160 degrees F. And use only clean utensils to remove them from the grill.
Following all these steps may seem arduous at first. But once you begin to increase your food safety knowledge, they will become second nature. And don't be surprised if you find yourself supervising the chef when you are invited to someone else's cookout.
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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