I'm not writing this to scare anyone but I have been mildly alarmed by recent studies done on the safety of meat purchased in supermarkets. The studies have indicated that 1 in 2 chickens purchased carried a form of the sometimes fatal bacterium Enterococcus faecium. They also claim that 1 in 5 samples of ground meat, including beef, pork and chicken, contain Salmonella.

The good news in this scary batch of information is that these bacteria are killed when cooked thoroughly. There is no need to cook something beyond all recognition but make sure that it is cooked completely. A medium to medium-rare steak is perfectly safe but I would be a bit leery of a truly rare burger.

The same goes for chicken. You don't have to cook every drop of juice out of it but you want to make sure that it is no longer pink on the inside.

As far as pork is concerned, a slight tinge of pink is fine but not too much.

Another and equally as important concern is the proper handling of meat. If you are taking meat out to defrost in the morning, put it in the refrigerator to defrost. Be sure to put it into a glass bowl or corning ware type dish so that no meat juice drips onto anything else. I don't like to use plastic bowls for this, especially a tupperware style bowl container because they tend to scratch easily and the raw meat juices can get into those scratches.

If you are taking something out to defrost in the late afternoon for dinner, it is okay to leave it in the dish on the counter to defrost.

Never let raw meat juices touch anything else that you are preparing and wash your hands well each time you work with the raw meat. If you use a fork to pick up the meat, wash it, don't leave it on the counter and never use that same fork to pick up the cooked meat.

If you use a sponge to clean up after raw meat, put it into the dishwasher with that night's dishes. They fit well in the silverware slots.

There's no reason to worry about the safety of your meat as long as you are conscientious in your handling and cooking habits.

--- © Chef Raven