Before getting down to cooking, here are some tips on how to prepare your cooking environment and schedule your time. Thinking about your preparation methods from the beginning and practicing a few easy rules will help to keep your food fresh and wholesome.
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As a general rule, calculate backwards from the time it takes to thaw and marinate your meats properly, as well as preheating the oven or grill, and add cooking time to arrive within 10 minutes of when you want to serve your dinner. Example: I want to serve dinner at 9 p.m., and cooking will take 50 minutes. I want to marinate my entrée for 30 minutes after it thaws for 14 hours. Thawing, then, should start (if not done overnight) no later than 6 a.m. that morning.
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Preparing Surfaces and Utensils
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Use plastic or other nonporous cutting boards. Wooden cutting boards can absorb juices, making them hard to clean thoroughly. |
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Use paper towels to clean kitchen preparation surfaces instead of cloth. You can then throw the soiled paper towel away. |
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Wash and sanitize your hands, tools, and preparation surfaces after coming in contact with uncooked meat. |
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Use separate cutting boards for vegetables and raw meats. If this is not possible, be sure to thoroughly clean the cutting board with hot, soapy water before cutting each ingredient and between cutting different slices of meat. |
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Never put cooked food or food to be eaten uncooked (such as salads) on surfaces where uncooked meat has been prepared. |
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Keep food away from cleaning chemicals, poisons and pesticides.
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