I am obsessive about this. Different plate, I change forks obsessively too.

As we wait for the experts to weigh in, one of my questions is, how common is salmonella? Is it always in every chicken or just a small few?

Even given the odds, I would rather be safe than sorry. What's the big deal to change a plate (and fork.)

If it’s been on the grill for long enough to be 145 inside, the surely the outside has been well above that. Especially If it’s been flipped at some point by then. I do keep track of clean side and dirty side of tongs, wash after flipping, and wash the thermometer between pokings... but that plate? I say it’s good.

ETA - That said, when it comes to food safety I think it’s important to be mentally ok with it. You don’t want to be thinking about cross contamination while you’re eating. So if it bothers you he should swap out or wash the plate, regardless of whether it’s safe.

It is not something I would even think twice about :-) I see no need, have done similar types of maneuvers endlessly during the course of my adult cooking life and never sickened myself or anyone else by doing so. I think these sorts of situations are overstated as to risk and cautions are done for more a liability issue than the actual danger present. I also live by the 5 or 10 second rule as well :-)

I do agree with FOAS that if this is a concern of yours, do what YOU think best to have peace of mind.

btw, I found one source (Consumer Reports) that presented a study stating that 16% of store bought chicken tested positive for salmonella. But of greater concern was that 63% of these chickens tested positive for Campylobacter, which is the leading cause of food poisoning....far more widespread than salmonella but not nearly as deadly. (1000 chickens tested in 36 cities and from various retailers)

I agree that the outside should be fine, but then the juices from the inside come out when the meat is pierced. The question is whether the chicken has endemic disease to begin with.

If it were a restaurant, putting the chicken on the previously chickened plate would be a big no-no. At home, where you're less likely to have the nastiest chicken, and if you don't have any immune compromised or delicate eaters, and where you don't have to worry about who did what (you know your husband is doing this), it's not as big a worry. Public health standards are far more stringent than what is absolutely necessary at home.

But, bad habits are still bad. Why not give him a stack of test/rest plates, and a bus tray for the used ones?

Long time ago, I went to a new authentic sushi restaurant in town and had sushi.

It was excellent. There was an interesting piece on the plate which I ate half. Delicious!

I ask the sushi master what kind of fish that was. He said it was raw chicken.

I didn't get sick afterwards, and I never went back to that restaurant.

dcarch

I can't believe they served you a piece of raw chicken. How gross.

We once went to dinner at our friends' house and they served chicken and it was "rare". That was an Emily Post moment. I had no idea what to do. I just ate it - I figured if I'm gonna die, what a way to go.

See, I agree with pillog. Once the skin is pierced from taking the temperature, the juice that comes out is unsafe. So putting a chicken on top of unsafe juice, just doesn't sit right with me. But it looks as if there is no consensus here. And of course FOAS is correct - it's my hang up and I have to deal with it.

I would wash the plate also due to the juices getting on it.

Why not take the temp before it comes off the grill? I send the food out on a foil lined tray. Discard the foil and it comes back in on the clean tray.

I am super careful with this, too. And know I would use a clean plate for the finished product. I also change utensils once they've touched raw or under cooked chicken or pork. I'm sure those sickened by under cooked chicken or pork would say: "It never happened previously, so I thought how I was handling it was safe."

I agree that the same plate shouldn't be used again for the fully cooked meat. Seems like common sense to me.

I wouldn't try to make someone else do it, though. I'd get a fresh plate for them.

BTW, have you considered that your husband simply may not want to do the extra work?

He just doesn't see it as a problem. Maybe it's a guy thing? I have no idea. It seems easy enough to bring the used plate back inside and take out a clean one. This is part of the reason that I am not the biggest fan of outdoor grilling.

I agree, the plate SHOULD be washed or a new plate used, but would I? Probably not, I tend to be pretty lax about such things, at least when it's just the two of us.

When I have the grandkids over, or my Mother, or a friend who is currently undergoing chemo? Or even just company? Then I'm a lot more careful because I never know what health issues others may be experiencing.

Dcarch, I'd never go back there again either, I've never heard of anyone eating raw chicken at a sushi joint, and it sounds terrible.

I hate to grill, for various reasons, but I'm with the "why not just temp it while it's still on the grill" voters....

Annie

i also would have washed the plate....as to the why not take the temp while still on the grill question....I have removed meat that I thought was done, taken the temp to be sure and found it needed a few more minutes...

Definitely a clean plate and utensils here!

Annie, actually raw chicken sushi is common in Japan.

dcarch

Hubby liked using the little grill/griddle out on the balcony. I would take the plate in with me, and bring a clean one out when it was time.

I was careful with contamination, because of his cancer.

I'm more lax, cooking for me, but not stupid lax. :-)

I agree about the juices, any juices; absolutely not on the same plate!

I'm so OCD that I even take the thermometer back and forth with me and wash it off before trying again. DH thinks I'm the weirdest person in the universe.

I'm out there in the weird universe too as my thermometer is washed after every use too. My DH pays no attention to cooking techniques. He, honestly, cannot even make a cup of tea or coffee so he keeps his trap shut.

If only it were possible to take the temperature on the grill but it's way too hot to try. We even bought a remote thermometer but found that it didn't work very well. I showed this thread to him this morning and he really didn't say much but I suspect the plates will be changed from now on. And honestly I never thought about the thermometer so now I have another thing to worry about. :-)

My DH is somewhat the opposite. I'm not sure its food safety he thinks about as much as its just his method of doing things. By the time he's grilled 2 potatoes rubbed with olive oil (enough oil on the plate to have done 10 potatoes) and grilled two steaks or chops, he's used 4 plates and the table hasn't been set to sit down and eat yet. I say nothing. That's what dishwashers are for and I haven't had to do the cooking.

When we cook outside its over gas - mostly him now that he has retired. DH will dip the working end of his long handled tongs into the gas flame to clean while cooking. I was always OK with that...what do you think?

Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant, or any place that has to follow health dep't /USDA guidelines (me - both), I think would agree about avoiding cross contamination, when dealing with raw meats.

The grill is too hot to take temperature on the grill; also I think it would skew the thermometer read because of the heat. I think I would be okay with tongs in the flame, but my grill uses charcoal (no flames).

It wouldn't affect the internal temp of the meat, just your hands. The grill is hot and it's safer to take the temperature away from the smoldering charcoal.

Get a ThermoPro remote thermometer that you can leave in while the chicken is cooking. The one I have will register the temperature on a display inside the house, even though the chicken is on the grill outdoors.

My DH has a habit that drives me insane. His mother used to do it too and what it is is taking a spoon and tasting the soup, stew or the like tasting it and then stirring the dish with the same spoon.

Louiseab, my husband did that once. So I refused to eat it or serve it to anyone else. After a few nights of being served that soup he never did that again.

how about ... 'ohh, I'm sorry I didn't know you were still using that,' and bring him a fresh one ...

I though of this post when DH was cubing steak for chili. Tiny dice. Partially frozen so it went zippy. I did most of the veg prep, then handed over the kitchen for his prep. During my session I gave the appliances a quick wipe, and cleared the prep area near the sink. Some newspaper under the meat board...not sterile clean just prepped/cleared. (I clean better after meat handling and a cooking session)

Little raw meat chunks found their way to the dishwasher handle, the sink tap handle and quit a bit on the newspaper far off the board. he said he was careful and we just laughed about it. Beef is less of and issue. He did the browning so raw meat was on the stove and knob as well.

Raw chicken is a bit different. Healthy birds are less likely to be sickened like commercial crowded raised birds. And the percentages are quite a bit lower for contamination but best to be safe.

We are not getting any younger so being safe so it is a natural prep process is best. DH is getting a little sloppy and forgetful. But never raw underdone chicken juice platter re-use. Grills are downstairs and I send those raw meats with a few extra clean platters.

A spoon, spoon rest, stirring soup/stock, a finger....tasting spoon. Probably safe going back into high heat that will sterilize. I'm making stock right now and in an hour I will give a stir, then rest the spoon...good for a hour or two. But will load the dishwasher at some point and grab a clean stirrer later. I have three spoon rests that nest. Top one goes in the dishwasher. Anal but I'm cleaning the counters and cutting boards anyway. Stock simmering for hours. Does not need a stir close to done.

(i've had food poisoning a few times) so actually it is rare considering how much we have traveled...but that taco in Guatemala I would like to forget...after a swallow I discovered it was just raw room temp chicken skin). DH did not have one. I was starving. 3 days suffering. My parents are turning 90 and 91 this week. I don't want that experience again even young and strong. They would suffer greatly I'd rather not think about.

learning/teaching safe cooking in your home is just smart. I'm a lousy house keeper but food prep is OCD. Why take a minimal risk? Let your spouse/family know how important it is.

Best thing I bought a couple years ago was a dozen stainless iced tea spoons I use for tasting, they fit in my spice jars, and in the drawer just under my prep. We use often 6-8 while cooking a meal. Long skinny handle, small spoon head. About a teaspoon.

So now I am headed to eBay to find iced teaspoons......

I am just not a food taster when I cook because I don't want to eat anything that might even be partially undone. I adjust at the end. Our palates are not that refined so things usually turn out okay.

It's not so much that the germs remain on a tasting spoon used over and over and put back in the pot but it is the saliva. I had an aunt who did this and discovered that her pudding would not thicken due to the digestive enzymes in the saliva. Disgusting.

I too am a big fan of the iced tea spoon. They are also great for stirring tall mugs of coffee, tea or cocoa.