Where you have a gas or charcoal grill, it is important to keep it clean. Now that spring is here, it is the perfect time to get the task done. If it has been a while since you cleaned your BBQ grill, then a bit of elbow grease may be required. However, maintaining your grill is a simple routine. Food cooked on a dirty grill tends to stick and loose it grilled marked flavor and can have an undesirable rancid smoke-like taste. A clean grill offers many bonuses – distinct grill marks, excellent tasting BBQ and less hassle when flipping your food.
Remove Ash From Your BBQ Grill
The first thing to remove is all the ash from the base. To start, take out the upper and lower grills then place them aside. You can easily take out the ash with a small shovel, handheld brush and dustpan. There are grill shovels available, but any type of tiny shovel will work. Dispose of the ash in a metal bucket or other non-combustible containers.
Time for Elbow Grease
First, heat your grill up. The heat will help loosen all the grease, dirt and grime. Make sure and cover the grill while it is heating, that way all surfaces get warm. Shut the grill off when it is heated to prevent any accidents and burns. If you have a gas BBQ, make certain that it is turned off. Wearing heat resistant gloves, scrub the grates with a wire brush (this is where elbow grease is needed). Once you are finished scrubbing you can rest assured that most of the work is done. If all the dirt and grime doesn’t come completely off, you can use soap and warm water. Makes sure to rinse the soap off after cleaning so that it doesn’t get into your food the next time you grill. Also dry the grates with a cloth to prevent rust.
Never use harsh chemicals such as bleach or Ajax to clean your grill. The chemicals can leave a residue and affect the taste of your food for the next few BBQs. As well, chemicals can harm any paint finishes and stainless steel.
Oil the Grates
Dip an old cloth into food safe oil (preferably olive oil). Don’t have the cloth dripping it only needs to be coated in oil. Using tongs to hold the cloth and prevent burning, rub the grates. Wait 5 or so minutes and apply another coat. Generally 3-4 coats of oil are needed. The exception is if you cook a lot of fish which needs about 10 coats of oil each time you grill. One thing for sure, oiling the grill each time you use it will drastically reduce the time needed to clean it.
Burner Tubes
If you have a gas BBQ grill then the burner tubes will need to be cleaned. If the flame is reduced in size then you know they really need cleaned. Sometimes the flame is orange instead if the usual blue color.
Using a steel or nylon brush (if the tube is cool to the touch), gently clean the tiny hole. Make sure to brush from the center and then move outward in a circular motion. Never clean up and down. That way debris will not be pushed into the hole.
The Grill Sheets and the Sides
It is also important to clean the bottom of the grill and the sides. It is much easier to clean if the grills are out. A cloth and warm or hot soapy water is the best way to clean the surface. You can also use a stiff brush to make the scrubbing easier. Make sure to rinse the sides and the grill sheet so that soap does not contaminate your food. Also, replace the dirty foil with clean foil. As well, clean the briquettes or lava rocks if your grill uses them.
Keeping Your Grill Clean
To prevent future grime buildup it is important to keep your BBQ grill grates clean. The spring cleaning is actually the hardest part. Once the major cleaning is done, regular maintenance is a breeze. Basically, scrape the hot grates before and after grilling. Make sure to oil the grates each time you scrub. It is also recommended to clean your BBQ grill about every few months.
Now that your grill is clean it is time for some grilling. For excellent quality vegetable and grass-fed meats contact the Butcher Shop.