Sanitation for Cooking Meat

Roasts take a longer cooking time to sanitize.

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Bacteria, parasites and viruses can contaminate meat products, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps and other serious illnesses. Since 5,000 persons in the United States die from food related pathogens every year, you should follow proper sanitation methods when cooking meat to kill meat-borne pathogens, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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While you can thaw meat on a counter top before cooking it, you should never leave meat at room temperature for more than two hours, because bacteria replicate the fastest between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, you should thaw meat in a refrigerator slowly or defrost it rapidly in a microwave. You should clean your hands and the cooking instruments you will use to cook your meat, because leftover residue on instruments and the hands can harbor pathogens.

Temperature

Proper cooking temperatures for meat depend upon the animal product. You should heat roasts and steaks from cows and sheep to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Ground meat products and pork must reach a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate all pathogens. Successful sanitation of ground poultry requires a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit of internal temperature and that of whole poultry requires 180 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature or higher.

Considerations

Do not rely upon the settings of a stove or microwave to determine safe temperatures, because the inside of a piece of meat does not cook as quickly as the outside. You can purchase a thermometer to make sure your meat products are fully cooked. For maximum effectiveness, you must insert the thermometer into the middle of the piece of meat to determine the internal temperature.

Microwave

When cooking with a microwave, it may not cook meat evenly, which can leave cooler spots in the food that can harbor bacteria. You can cover with meat with plastic or cook it in a plastic container to trap evaporating moisture close to the food, which increases the core temperature of the meat and distributes heat evenly. After the meat half cooks, you should rotate it if your microwave does not rotate the food automatically. Never cook pieces of meat in a microwave at full power, because you will cook the outside of the meat but will leave the inside raw.

Oven

When cooking with a range, you should preheat the oven to a minimum temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure the maximum penetration of heat, you can cut up larger slabs of meat into smaller pieces. For whole carcasses, you can use a knife to cut slits in the meat, so heat can more easily reach the inside of it.

ReferencesU.S. Department of Agriculture: How Temperature Affect FoodNational Institute of Health: Bacteria and Foodborne IllnessesNFS International: Guidelines for Proper CookingPhoto Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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How to Make a Chinese Food Container Purse

Don't toss those take-out containers; they make great purses.

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Some fashion boutiques sell purses that resemble Chinese take-out containers but these may cost more than you'd like to spend. Creating your own takes a short amount of time and is a more-economical choice than a premade Chinese take-out box-style purse. It also allows you to customize it to match your personal preferences and style. Most of the supplies you need are available at craft or fabric stores.

Related Searches:Difficulty:ModerateInstructions Things You'll NeedChinese food take-out boxFabricFeltFabric adhesiveRibbonSuggest Edits1

Take the Chinese take-out container apart. Use the one you have or use it to make a pattern on a piece of cardboard. An alternative is to purchase your take-out container premade from a party or restaurant supply company.

2

Wash the container thoroughly. If you are using a take-out container that previously held food, wash it with soap and water. You may want to use a damp, soapy rag rather than running the container under the water because it may get too soggy to work with. A baby wipe works well too.

3

Lay the fabric, with the right-side down, flat on a table or other work surface. Use your hands to smooth the fabric. Be sure there are no wrinkles or folds which will appear on the sides of your purse.

4

Apply fabric adhesive to the outside of your take-out container. Be sure to get all the edges so the fabric sticks in all places. Lay it on the fabric and press to be sure all areas stick. Hold in place for a minute or two to be sure the container doesn't shift when you move your hands. Allow to dry completely.

5

Apply more fabric adhesive to the inside of the take-out box. Lay felt on the glue and press for a couple of minutes. Allow to dry completely.

6

Cut the excess fabric from around the take-out box. You may want to cut the fabric side before applying the felt if you are concerned that you might cut the container.

7

Fold the box in place. Adhere the edges with fabric glue to hold. You might need to hold each side until you are sure the glue holds. An alternative is to use Velcro squares to hold the purse together.

8

Cut a piece of ribbon to the desired strap length. Seal the edges with a lighter to prevent fraying by passing the ends of the ribbon lightly over a lit flame. Apply fabric adhesive to the sides of the purse where you want the strap to lay. Lay the fabric on the glue and hold until it sticks. Allow the purse to dry completely before using.

ReferencesCraftster: Chinese Food Take-Out PurseNashville Wraps: Chinese Take-Out BoxesJCaroline Creative: Fabric-Covered Chinese Take-Out BoxPhoto Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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Latin American Weaving Techniques

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Herbs for Cajun Food

Crawfish are seasoned with herbs in Cajun cooking.

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Cajun food is influenced by the culture of three different locations: France, Acadia (a region in Canada) and the United States. It has developed into a famous cooking style in Louisiana. Cajun food emphasizes the use of local ingredients as opposed to exotic dishes. Because the food is prepared without much work, only a few herbs are added to dishes. Cayenne pepper, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, oregano and sassafras are common herbs in Cajun food.

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Cayenne pepper, a spicy herb from the pepper plant, is used in jambalaya. Jambalaya, in contrast to gumbo, is made with rice, meat and anything else you want to throw in. The saying "everything but the kitchen sink" certainly applies to jambalaya. The pepper makes it spicier than some other Cajun dishes. Etouffee and crawfish also use this herb for flavoring. Cayenne pepper is used to season the crawfish or other seafood that is then added to the etouffee.

Bay Leaf

Bay leaves have a minimal use in Cajun cooking but are important in seasoning crawfish and can be used in a roux. The leaves maintain their shape and flavor well through a long cooking process, so they are often added to the water to boil crawfish or simmered in a roux.

Parsley

Parsley is a leafy herb that is added to several Cajun dishes for a fresh flavor. Etouffee adds a crisp bite of parsley to this thick roux-based dish and is then paired with "dirty" rice. Some cooks top white rice with etouffee, but dirty rice is the Cajun preference. Dirty rice, which is rice cooked with bits of chicken giblets for flavor, is usually garnished only with parsley but it does add a hint of extra flavor.

Oregano & Thyme

Oregano and thyme can be used for etouffee or in a slow-simmering roux. Less common than other herbs, oregano and thyme are used sparingly in Cajun cooking. A golden brown roux is common in Cajun cooking but if you are choosing to make a darker roux, such as for etouffee, these herbs add warmth and flavor.

Sassafras Leaves

Sassafras leaves are used to make file. The file is a thickening agent that is added to a roux, which is then used in gumbo. Note that gumbo, unlike jambalaya, does not mean randomly tossing stuff in. Okra is also commonly used to thicken, and the sassafras herb can be combined with the okra. The use of sassafras in Cajun cooking became more prominent through the influence of the Choctaw Indians.

ReferencesReal Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking From Donald Link's Louisiana; Donald Link et alThe Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine; John D. FolseChef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen; Paul PrudhommeHerbs & Spices: The Cook's Reference; Jill NormanPhoto Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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