Chef Selwyn’s Recipes: Keeping Food Safe During Barbecue Season

By Chef Selwyn Richards
PRIDE Cuisine Specialist

Summer is the ideal time to enjoy cookouts and backyard feasts. Unfortunately, hot weather combined with eating outdoors can be a breeding ground for food-borne illness. Every year, millions of cases of food-borne illness occur in North America.

Here are some ways to keep yourself safe:

*  Avoid cross-contamination. Do not let food not yet cooked come into contact with anything ready to be eaten.

*  When shopping, buy meat and poultry products last, and unpack them first at home.

*  Cook food thoroughly, especially poultry. Even rare meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F.

*  Cranberries may be a natural and delicious way to make that summer barbeque a safer one.New research finds cranberries may offer a unique line of defense against food poisoning with their unique ability to reduce the growth of Salmonella and E. coli and other types of bacteria found in food. Incorporating cranberry into food preparation, one day, may be a natural way to minimize food contamination.

Spicy Cranberry Chicken Drummettes

1/2 cup Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 chicken drummettes, about 2 pounds

Combine all ingredients, except drummettes, in large resealable plastic bag; mix well. Add drummettes. Seal; turn bag to coat chicken. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour chicken and marinade in ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink near bone, turning 2 or 3 times and brush with marinade. Transfer chicken pieces to serving dish; discard any remaining marinade.

Since cranberries are also antioxidants, they provide a dual anti-adhesion and antioxidant health benefit. With more PACs (antibacterial benefits) and antioxidants per gram than most fruit, cranberries ward off certain bacteria and bolster the body’s defenses against free radical damage that can contribute to many chronic diseases including heart disease.

It’s easy to keep food safe if you take some simple precautions.

BBQ Pork With Jerk Marinade And Tamarind Chutney

When we talk about Jamaican cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind is Jerk Chicken – a style of barbecue that is native to Jamaica. In most upscale kitchens in North America you will find Grace® Jerk Seasoning along with many different island spices. Chefs from all over Europe and North America have been trending towards fusing this tropical island paradise cuisine on their menu. The chicken, pork, fish, or shellfish is marinated with the spicy mixture called Jamaican jerk sauce. What better way to add some heat to a meal with friends?

2 pounds pork loin or pork chops (½ pound a person)
3 tablespoons Grace Jerk Seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Jar of tamarind chutney

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, mix well and let marinate in fridge from 4 to 24
hours.
2. Cook pork in oven at 375ºF for 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Pork can also be cooked on the grill with medium heat, turning often until done.
Serve with Tamarind Chutney.

Selwyn Richards is an award-winning master chef. He is also the President and Executive Chef at The Art of Catering Inc. and is the author of “The Art of Cooking: Soul of The Caribbean”. Chef Selwyn can be reached at: selwyn@theartofcatering.com or by phone — (905) 619-1059.