Fit Fare

Proper Cooking of Meats on the Grill

Posted by Sarah Caron
July 21, 2008

Back a bit, I was able to ask Joan Hansen, test kitchen director for Hormel, a few questions about grilling meats and cooking pork. Her answers were so great that I struggled with how to present them. Rather than spin them into one article, Fit Fare will be featuring the answers all week this week.

Enjoy!

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How can you ensure that grilled meat — especially chicken and pork — is properly cooked when you are barbecuing?

Hansen’s Answer:

Grilling Tips for Pork:

Fully-cooked hams only need to be grilled to an internal temperature of 140ºF—just enough to warm them through. Spice rubs and glazes are especially good on grilled hams.
Today’s leaner pork dries out easily when overcooked, so it’s important to keep an eye on pork when grilling. Rubs and pastes help create a flavorful crust, sealing in the juices, on both small and larger cuts.
For the juiciest kabobs, cut pork chunks into 1- to 1- 1/4-inch cubes. Anything smaller can dry out too quickly.
Grilling pork chops? Use chops that are at least 1-inch thick for best results.
Sausages such as bratwurst and Italian sausage are ideal grilling fare. They grill quickly. Direct medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes is all it takes.

Searing

Searing quickly browns food over high heat. This happens easily on a grill, and is often recommended for meats as it may seal in juices, making food more tender. Searing also develops a slight crust, adding flavor and texture to a cut of meat.
Chops benefit from a good searing. Six minutes per side over direct high heat is perfect.
Roasts are better when seared first. The exception is a roast with excess fat, which can drip and cause flare-ups over the high heat required for searing.
Hams are fully cooked, so searing is unnecessary.
Pork tenderloins cook quickly and need just the slightest outer crust to provide contrast to their tender centers. Searing isn’t important.
High heat also cooks tougher cuts such as ribs and shoulder so quickly they don’t have time to tenderize. Cook these cuts over indirect medium or low heat.

Determining Doneness

Chops, roasts, tenderloin, or ground should be cooked to 160ºF. Note that temperatures continue to rise for a short while after removing food from the grill, so tender cuts such as loin roast and tenderloin can be removed when they reach an internal temperature of 150ºF. to 155ºF. A 10-minute rest will bring the temperature up to 160ºF.

Great recipes for grilling pork can be found at www.hormelfoodsrecipes.com:

Chops: Cajun-Style Spiced Pork Chops
Loin filet: Grilled Honey Lemon Pork Medallions
Ribs: Backyard Barbecue Ribs
Sausage: Bratwurst Ruebens
Tenderloin: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce

Grilling Tips for Poultry:

Food safety is especially important when grilling poultry. Raw poultry can harbor potentially dangerous bacteria.
Flipping is only necessary for boneless poultry pieces, kabob meat, and burgers. The grilling time is so short for these cuts (less than 25 minutes) that all sides need to be exposed to the heat for even browning, grill marks, and thorough cooking. One flip halfway through grilling time is all that’s needed. Bone-in pieces do not need to be turned. They are best grilled slowly over indirect heat.
When grilling poultry pieces from a whole bird, it’s best to start the thighs and legs first and add the breast halves and wings ten minutes later. This ensures everything will be cooked through at the same time.
Chicken fat tends to melt quickly, so it’s especially important to trim excess fat on chicken pieces before grilling to avoid flare-ups.
Whole turkeys weighing 16 pounds or less are best for grilling.

Determining Doneness

Poultry is thoroughly cooked when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone.
With a whole chicken or turkey, look for 180ºF when the thermometer is inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh. Make sure the thermometer tip isn’t touching bone or fat.
Chicken and turkey breasts are thoroughly cooked at 170ºF.
Ground poultry is fully cooked at 165ºF.