A clean grill means that dirt and debris aren’t stealing heat from your food. For the most efficient and successful outdoor cooking this summer, start with these basic maintenance tips. And once you’ve taken care of basic maintenance, you want to get ready for cooking, and make sure you are not making the 5 Biggest Grilling Mistakes that almost everyone makes!
Your poor, poor barbeque grill, it took some abuse this winter. It had snow piled on top of it, freezing temperatures, spiders, dust, and carbonized pieces of last year’s hamburger spend an intimate winter with it.
However, now is the time for your grill to shine, so treat it well and your rewards will continue all summer long. There are three basic areas that you’ll want to inspect, clean and repair before you start cooking outdoors this year.
1) The Gas – Liquid Propane (LP) gas grills are potentially dangerous because of the flammable nature of the LP.
a. Inspect the LP canister for leaks or breaks. With some soapy water and a soft-bristled paintbrush, brush the water on the areas where the tank and gas lead are coupled. Also brush valve stem and valve of the tank. Bubbles indicate gas leaks and should be repaired immediately.
b. Be sure you have enough gas. Unless you have a pressure gauge on the tank, the only see how much gas you have is by weight. The average canister weighs 18 pounds empty.
2) The Grates – Clean and inspect the cooking grates for wear, rust, or remnants of last July 4th. This includes the lava rocks that are suspended above the burner. Vacuum the grates, rocks and bottom of the grill to remove debris
3) The Burner – The most important part of your grilling often goes neglected. Remove the I-shaped or H-shaped burner from the grill and inspect the propane holes for wear. If it has deteriorated such that the holes have joined together, making a large hole, this is potentially dangerous and the burner should be replaced.
With a clean grill, you’ll enjoy the cooking season more fully because your equipment will allow your true outdoor cooking talent to shine through. You can make those beautiful grill marks on your chicken or beef, so it has great eye-appeal. Also, don’t forget that a grilling rub adds flavor for even the worst cooks, so get your spice rack ready too!