Is a Meat Thermometer Necessary for a BBQ?

Warm weather and long evenings make the ideal combination for a barbecue. It’s a relaxed way to eat and socialize. There is a need to be a little cautious, however, as this might sometimes lead to a more relaxed approach to food preparation and that is not such a good idea.

The storage, preparation and handling of meat, in particular chicken and pork, needs as much care outdoors, as it does indoors. The first and foremost reason you should invest in a meat thermometer is food safety.  A large-scale study reports that cases of reported food poisoning double in barbecue season, compared to the annual average.

The study reveals some other startling statistics. It’s estimated that in cases where the person who becomes ill understands that poorly stored or prepared barbecue food was the cause, only 10% of cases are seen by a doctor or emergency room. It is conceivable, therefore, that food poisoning cases increase as much as twenty-fold because of barbecues.

We don’t want to spoil the fun. Everyone wants to enjoy their Summer BBQ, so let’s look at the simple steps to take and importantly, how to use a BBQ thermometer to check your food is cooked properly.

How Do I Test if the Meat is Cooked?

A thermometer should also be used on grills and even indoor grills, like a George Foreman grill, to ensure your food is at the proper temperature. Grill marks on meat don't always indicate that the food is properly cooked through.  If you invest in a meat thermometer, you can guarantee that each dish you make is never over or undercooked.

The answer is to use a BBQ thermometer or meat thermometer. The thermometer will likely have a probe spike that should be pushed into the thickest part of the meat, away from the fat if possible. You are looking for a temperature in the centre of the meat of around  55°C to 60°C for medium-rare. A BBQ thermometer is a meat thermometer that is suitable for outdoor use.

Food is only as cooked as its least cooked part, so to find out if your food is done, insert the thermometer almost all the way through the, let’s say, steak, and slowly pull it through, looking for the lowest temperature. That lowest temp is your doneness. That’s also why you need a fast thermometer! A slow thermometer can’t cope with the rapidly changing temperature gradients as you pull the thermometer through the food. An accurate but slow thermometer is just as bad as an inaccurate thermometer.

So, there you have two great reasons that a meat thermometer is necessary for a BBQ: primarily safety and quality. One last suggestion is to use a digital meat thermometer instead of a regular dial thermometer.  You will be happy with the improvement in measuring range, accuracy and speed digitization brings to your cooking.

Home Fires offers fireplaces, BBQ and other heating solutions of a wide range of brands. We are Sydney’s most established premium barbeque shop. We offer you the largest range of charcoal barbeques, gas barbeques, portable barbeques and inbuilt barbeques, pizza ovens and outdoor kitchen units.  We can help you find the right barbeque solution and accessories that will be a perfect match for you.  If you have any questions regarding fireplaces or BBQ equipment or are interested in buying one, you should get in touch with us right away!