Cleaning the BBQ Grill

As summertime lingers on and the BBQ Grill is being enjoyed it becomes necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the BBQ Grilling surface area. After just one or two cookouts the BBQ Grate can get very nasty, causing food to stick to the surface area and to burn more easily. To have a successful cooking experience on the BBQ Grill, there are several steps that need to be taken to keep the Grill clean. Previously cooked meals need to get charred on the Grill, then removed and finally “resurface” the cooking grate.

First, the best way to remove old unwanted left behind cooking sauces and bits of past meals is to char them on the grate surface. To do so, light up the Grill and bring the cooking grate up to cooking temperature. Keep the BBQ Grill closed as this is being done. This will heat up the grate surface and cook any leftover sauce or food particles and burn them on the grate surface making them easy to remove.

Second, once the past meals have been successfully charred on the grate surface, open up the BBQ Grill. It is always recommended to wear fire retardant gloves while cleaning the grate. Then, using a steel brush or BBQ Scraper rub it up and down the grate surface. This will remove the majority of the burnt on food particles, as they will fall into the bottom of the Grill.

Next, take a pair of tongs with a clean cloth soaked in fresh cooking oil and brush it up and down the grate surface. Be extra careful during this step as it may create flare ups from the hot coals. This will do two things. It will clean up any remaining debris on the Grill and create a non stick surface for the meal that is about to be prepared. When finished wiping down the grate discard the dirty cloth and the BBQ Grill is ready to be enjoyed once again.

There are times that the grate may need to be cleaned in a sink with hot water, a piece of steel wool, a little soap and some elbow grease. This is something that is done usually at the beginning or ending of the BBQ Season. For regular Grill maintenance the three steps above are all that is needed to keeping a clean grill for the summertime cookouts. Keeping the BBQ Grill clean will also prevent rust from forming and extend the life of the BBQ Grill.

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