Cooking beef for dinner? Follow these steps for a healthy meal.

1. Don't thaw meat at room temperature

We suggest defrosting in the refrigerator (making sure the meat is well wrapped) or in the microwave. In the case of the microwave, the meat must be cooked as soon as it is defrosted. 

2. Disinfecting your utensils and counter

After or during meat preparation, avoid cleaning surfaces with the same cloth used daily or for washing dishes—you risk spreading bacteria. Try a reusable paper towel you can throw in the wash after cleaning up.

3. Don't wait too long to cook or freeze meat

Cook your beef within two days of purchase. Otherwise, freeze it right away and defrost when you are ready to use it.

See more: 31 Ground Beef Recipes For Cheap & Easy Dinners

4. Don't marinate Beef at room temperature

You should always marinate your meat in the refrigerator. If you do it at room temperature, there is a higher risk of bacteria proliferation.

5. Don't use the same kitchen utensils

Cutting boards, knives, plates...we use lots of different utensils when cooking. Make sure to clean them well between uses or, to be even more careful, use different utensils to handle raw meat, cooked meat, and other foods.

6. Over or underestimating the doneness of meat

Unless you're a professional chef, you shouldn't rely on the colour of meat cannot to determine whether it is cooked enough to be safely consumed. Be sure to take an internal temperature before serving and eating.

Cooking meat is also not a solution to preventing all bacteria. Although cooking can eliminate some, it cannot accommodate for poor handling, poor storage, etc.

7. Relying on appearance, taste or smell of meat to determine if it is "good"

Health Canada states that it is not possible to determine whether meat has been contaminated by bacteria from smell or appearance. Here's how to be safe with handling raw meat:

• Pick up refrigerated or frozen foods at the end of your shop, just before you check out.
• Check the expiration date—these are not guarantees, but help you to determine freshness.
• Place raw meat in a separate bag at the bottom of your cart/shopping bag so it does not touch other foods.
• Wash your reusable bags frequently.

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