Consumer Q&A: Celebrating Beef Month

Q: Can I place beef and poultry together on the grill for cooking?

A: Yes, but don’t expect different items to be done at the same time. Use a food thermometer to be sure all of the food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, as measured with a food thermometer. For whole poultry, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a three-minute rest time. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Never partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later. And, of course, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw meat as you do for cooked meats. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and its juices can contaminate safely cooked food.

Q: Can I freeze leftover cooked hamburger patties?

A: If ground beef is put in the freezer promptly after cooking (within two hours; one hour if the air temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit), it can be safely frozen and should keep its quality for about four months. When reheating fully cooked patties or casseroles containing ground beef, be sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or it is hot and steaming. Refrigerated patties can be safely refrigerated for about three or four days provided they are also refrigerated promptly after cooking.

Q: What is "grass-fed" beef?

A: "Grass (forage) fed" means that grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the cow, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. Its diet shall be derived solely from forage consisting of annual or perennial grasses, forbs such as legumes and brassicas, browse (vegetation such as twigs and young shoots) or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state. The cows cannot be fed grain or grain by-products and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.

 

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