Kickoff tailgating season with these safety tips

Georgia Bulldog fans will kickoff their home game tailgating season this weekend against the Nicholls State Colonels. While it’s true you could stop off on your way to the game and buy “The Colonel’s” fried chicken, we know true Georgia fans want to grill their own delicious poultry recipes this weekend.

In our first in a series of tailgating recipe ideas, we thought it best to start with food safety… especially since chicken can be one of the trickier meats to grill.

Prep ahead safely – For truly mouth-watering, fall off the bone chicken, consider marinating your chicken (using the recipe below). Raw chicken can be marinated in the refrigerator up to 2 days ahead. Discard leftover marinade that has been in contact with raw meat. You can reserve a separate portion if desired to brush over meat during grilling. Don’t partially cook food ahead of time.

Clean your veggies – Be sure to rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing the cooler unless marked as “washed” or “ready-to-eat.”

Keep it chill – Organize coolers to keep beverages in one, perishables in another. Mark the beverage cooler so your tailgaters will not open the food cooler unnecessarily. The less your cooler is opened, the colder your contents will remain. Cold food should be stored at 40℉ or below with ice or frozen gel packs.

Don’t cross-contaminate – Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry and seafood securely wrapped. Don’t use the same platters or cooking tongs for raw food with your cooked meal unless washed with soap and water.

Beware the hot sun – Any food left out in the hot sun can spoil quickly. In 90-degree temps, food shouldn’t be left out for more than one hour.

Cook all meats thoroughly – Play it safe and pack your food thermometer. Steaks, fish, and pork are considered safe when their inner temperatures reach 145℉. Ground beef requires an inner core of 160℉. Chicken and whole poultry should reach 165℉.

Seafood like shrimp, lobster and crabs should be cooked until pearly and opaque. Clams, oysters and mussels are done when their shells open.

Don’t spread the love… or your germs – Consider purchasing disposable hand wipes or have a separate water jug, soap and paper towels on hand to encourage your fans to eat with clean hands. Wipe down food surfaces too.

Louisiana-inspired Spicy Colonel Dry Rub and Marinade

We recommend marinating and cooking whole split chickens. Buying the whole chicken is less expensive than individual pieces, and cooking on the bone helps the meat remain moist.

Ingredients:

½ cup paprika

3 tablespoons cayenne pepper

5 tablespoons black pepper

6 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons onion powder

6 tablespoons coarse salt

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons dry mustard

3 tablespoons ground coriander

1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Wash whole chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Combine all dry ingredients. Place chicken in storage container. Pour olive oil over chicken and massage into skin (do not discard excess). Cover chicken skin with dry rub. Refrigerate up to two days before grilling.

Grill over very low flame for 35-45 minutes until internal temperature of chicken breast reaches 165℉. Share immediately with friends.

Source: www.foodsafety.gov