What does "quarantine" refer to in BBQ practice?

In BBQ practice, "quarantine" primarily refers to the practice of setting aside raw meat and tools to avoid cross-contamination with cooked foods. This concept is crucial for food safety in BBQ and cooking in general. When raw meat is handled, it can harbor harmful bacteria and pathogens that can contaminate other foods if they come into contact with it. By quarantining raw meat and any tools that have touched it, you minimize the risk of these contaminants spreading to cooked dishes, thereby ensuring safe consumption and reducing the chance of foodborne illness.

The importance of this practice cannot be overstated, especially in BBQ where various types of meats may be used, and the cooking process may involve multiple phases that can inadvertently lead to cross-contamination.

Although cooking meat separately from other dishes, isolating different types of meat, and storing leftovers correctly are all important practices in BBQ, they do not specifically address the protocol of avoiding cross-contamination in the same direct manner that quarantining does. Each practice contributes to overall food safety but does not encapsulate the critical aspect of keeping raw and cooked foods apart as effectively as quarantine does.