Cooking Around the World

Everyone loves chicken, but along with this love for chicken comes concern about getting sick from improperly prepared chicken. If you follow a few simple steps when cooking chicken you can safely serve it at any meal and never have to worry about someone getting sick. Overcooked chicken can be dry and not very appetizing and undercooked chicken will make you very ill, so exactly how do you know when your chicken is done without ruining the flavor or tenderness?

Preparing Chicken

Never leave chicken or any meat sitting out to thaw, as bacteria may infect the meat. Instead, place it in the refrigerator the night before so it can thaw slowly without putting the meat at risk for bacteria growth. Leaving chicken on the counter to thaw all day is putting your and your family at risk for many food borne illnesses that are caused by bacteria.

Before you pick up or open the package of chicken, wash your hands with hot, soapy water. Be sure to also wash your hands and any other surfaces that come in contact with the raw meat. Many people like to use disposable gloves that are created specifically for food handling. This is a good idea when cooking chicken as you can throw them away after handling the chicken and you reduce your risk of cross contaminating other foods. It is always best to be overly cautious instead of not cautious enough when cooking chicken. There is really no such thing as too clean or too careful when it comes to handling chicken or other meat.

Clean up is very important while you are cooking chicken. After you are done handling the chicken make sure your clean any surfaces such as counters or cutting boards that may have come in contact with the chicken and be sure to wash your hands with soap once again before handling any other food. Often bacteria from chicken cause illness indirectly because the bacterium was left behind on other surfaces and was spread to food such as your salad.

Temperature is very important when cooking chicken as undercooked chicken is a health hazard and over-cooked chicken doesn’t taste very good. Chicken that reaches a temperature of about 165 Fahrenheit throughout the meat is just about perfect. At that temperature the meat is fully cooked, but still juicy and tasty. Cooking chicken is neither hard nor hazardous as long as you put in the time and effort to protect yourself and your family. So instead of avoiding chicken on your dinner table just take a few precautions in order to avoid any possible problems.