For many of us, Memorial Day weekend kicked off summer, which included lots of outdoor celebrations, cookouts, and grilling. As the holiday and summer months near, follow grilling information, safety tips, and recommendations from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help lower the risk of grilling fires and associated hazards.
On average, 19,700 patients went to emergency rooms each year because of injuries involving grills. Nearly half (9,500 or 48 percent) of the injuries were thermal burns, including both burns from fire and from contact with hot objects; 5,200 thermal burns were caused by contact or other non-fire events.
Children under five accounted for an average of 2,000, or 39 percent, of the contact-type burns per year. These burns typically occurred when someone, often a child, bumped into, touched, or fell on the grill, grill part, or hot coals.
NFPA offers these tips and recommendations for enjoying a fire-safe grilling season:
• For propane grills, check the gas tank for leaks before use in the months ahead.
• Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.
• Place the grill well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
• Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grilling area.
• Never leave your grill unattended when in use.
Food poisoning peaks in the summer months when warmer temperatures cause food-borne germs to flourish. Follow these steps for a safe and enjoyable grilling season:
• When shopping, pick up meat, poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags. To guard against cross-contamination, put packages of raw meat and poultry into individual plastic bags.
• Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until ready to grill. When transporting, keep below 40 degrees in an insulated cooler.
• Throw out mar inades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices, which can spread germs to cooked foods. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill.
• Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. When smoking, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat a safe temperature while it cooks.
145°F – whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (stand-time of 3 minutes at this temperature) 145°F – fish 160°F – hamburgers and other ground beef 165°F – all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs 140°F or warmer – until it’s served Here is a fun grilling recipe to use those new grill safety tips!
Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp with Dip For the marinade:
1 pound shrimp; frozen or fresh peeled and deveined 1 tbsp jalapeño 1 cup green onion 2 cup cilantro 4 tbsp lime zest 1/4 cup lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup pineapple juice 2 tbsp minced garlic 1/2 tsp coconut aminos 1/2 tsp black pepper For the dill dip:
8 ounce container plain Greek low fat yogurt 2 tsp lime zest 2 tsp lime juice 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill 1/4 cup sliced limes 2 tbsp cilantro Prep shrimp, if frozen let thaw. If fresh, peel and devein.
Next, remove 6 tsp zest and squeeze 1/4 cup lime juice from limes.
Place jalapeno (optional remove seeds), green onion, and cilantro in food processor and pulse.
Then whisk together olive oil, lime juice, pineapple juice, zest, (minced) garlic, coconut aminos, and black pepper in a bowl. Combine processed ingredients to create a marinade.
Pour the marinade into a large sealable food-safe plastic bag. Gather your thawed shrimp and place them in the marinade (plastic bag). Before sealing, press the excess air out, then seal.
Let the shrimp marinate in the fridge for about 10 to 30 minutes (max).
While shrimp is marinating, create your dill dip. Grab a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, garlic powder, and dill. Cover and chill.
You are now ready to grill; you can thread the shrimp onto skewers or place them in a grill pan over the stove.
Grill the shrimp over direct, medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning the shrimp halfway through the process. Make sure shrimp is pink and cooked through - a fully cooked shrimp is 120 degrees. Check the temp!
When done, take the shrimp off the grill, and squeeze some lime juice (optional).
Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
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