Fourth of July Sizzles as the Most Popular Outdoor Cooking Holiday of the Year

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Dishes Out Tips for a Safe
Celebration

ARLINGTON, Va., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers will fire it up for the
Fourth of July: the most popular outdoor cooking holiday of the year.
According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), more than
two-thirds of Americans (69 percent) will turn to their grill, smoker or fryer
for a delicious, convenient, no-mess meal this Independence Day.

"Outdoor cooking is a popular American past time, especially on the Fourth of
July," said Leslie Wheeler, HPBA Communications Director. "From appetizers to
mainstay hot dogs and hamburgers, to delicious desserts, outdoor cooking is a
fun, easy and appetizing way to celebrate the holiday with family and
friends."

In addition to friends, family and food, two key ingredients for outdoor
cooking include common sense and safety. To ensure a successful Fourth of July
celebration, HPBA recommends the following food and safety tips for consumers.

Before you fire it up:
-- Evaluate your grill and consider replacing it if you have rusted or
wobbly legs, or if the manufacturer's safety guidelines are not
being met.
-- For gas grills, visually inspect hoses for abrasion, wear, and leaks
before each use. A soap and water solution may be used to test for
leaks. Never use a flame to check for gas leaks. Replace faulty hoses
using a parts replacement kit before operating the grill.
-- For charcoal grills, never use gasoline, kerosene or highly volatile
fluids as a starter. As an alternative lighter fluid, use an electric,
solid, metal chimney or other starter specifically made for lighting
charcoal briquets or wood chunks.
-- Electric grills should be connected to a ground fault interrupter
(GFI)
outlet in accordance with local codes. Electrical cords should always
be
secured during operation to protect against damage or personal injury.

When cooking outdoors:
-- Position your grill, fryer or smoker in an open area away from
buildings
and high traffic areas.
-- Never leave your grill, fryer or smoker unattended.
-- Wear clothing that does not have hanging shirt tails, frills or apron
strings.
-- Always use long-handled utensils to avoid burns and splatters.
-- Be ready to extinguish flames. Use baking soda to control a grease
fire
and have a fire extinguisher handy. A bucket of sand or a garden hose
should be near if you don't have a commercial extinguisher.

In order to handle food safely:
-- Trim any excess fat from meat and poultry to help prevent grill
flare-ups.
-- Turn food often with tongs to prevent charring.
-- Do not press, flatten or pierce the meat - flavorful juices will be
lost
and may cause flare-ups. Should your meat become charred, remove those
areas before eating.
-- Proper temperature is critical for cooking delicious, flavorful food.
Use medium heat to avoid overcooking or charring meat, poultry or
seafood.
-- Use a meat thermometer or an "instant read" digital
thermometer inserted horizontally into the side of meat, poultry and
seafood to check doneness.

Recommended Internal Temperatures:
Poultry 165 degrees F
Ground beef 160 degrees F
Pork (chops, ground, tenderloin) 160 degrees F
Large cut pork roasts 150 degrees F
Beef roasts, steaks, seafood and lamb 145 degrees F

For easy clean-up:
-- Before lighting the grill, apply non-stick spray on the grates. The
protective spray cuts down clean-up time afterwards.
-- For charcoal grills, line the bowl with aluminum foil. After grilling,
and once the grill and coals are cool, simply discard the foil with
the
coals and ash, then wash and reline with foil for next time.
-- Squirt grease-cutting dishwashing detergent on grill and grates (once
cool). Scrub with brush or abrasive pad, then rinse. Repeat as
necessary.
-- Don't forget to place a grill pad or splatter mat beneath your
grill before cooking. These naturally heat resistant pads will protect
your deck or patio from any grease that misses the drip pan and will
keep your outdoor living area clean and looking like new.

Did you know? Fun barbecue facts:
-- The most popular foods for barbecuing are: burgers (82%), steak (79%),
chicken (72%) and hot dogs (71%).
-- The most commonly prepared side dishes are: corn (42%), potatoes (38%)
and other vegetables (37%).
-- The most popular flavors of barbecue sauce are hickory, followed by
mesquite, honey, and then tomato-based. The most common ingredient
added
to barbecue sauce is garlic, followed by brown sugar.

For more outdoor cooking tips and tidbits, as well as recipes, visit
www.hpba.org.

About Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA)
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association based in Arlington, VA, is the North
American industry association for manufacturers, retailers, distributors,
representatives, service firms and allied associates for all types of hearth,
barbecue and patio appliances, fuels and accessories. The association provides
professional member services and industry support in education, statistics,
government relations, marketing, advertising and consumer education. There are
more than 2,600 members in the HPBA.

SOURCE Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association

Deidra Darsa of Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, +1-703-522-0086, ext.
129, darsa@hpba.org; or Jeanette Casselano of Fleishman-Hillard,
+1-202-828-8833, jeanette.casselano@fleishman.com, for Hearth, Patio &
Barbecue Association