Grill Clean Up
Although many of us procrastinate with this chore, cleaning the grill is one of those deeds necessary to keep your grill working properly. It is also the secret to better tasting food—no more charred residue that can deliver unpleasant flavors.
Gas Grills
Grillers who use gas grills can simply turn the burners on high after each use and let dirty grates "cook" for 10 to 15 minutes with the lid closed. Turn off the grill, and let it cool completely, then use a wire brush to get off as much of the baked-on grease and food residue as you can.
How often you need to deep clean with detergent and hot water depends on how frequently you grill, if you use marinades that drip, and so forth. For deep cleaning, many newer grills have parts that are dishwasher safe. (Check your grill manufacturer's cleaning instructions.)
If it has been awhile since using your grill, check to make sure the gas connection between the propane tank and the grill hose is safe. Try this: mix dish soap with water and brush it onto the gas connection. Turn on the gas at the tank, but don't light the grill. If bubbles form at the connection, you will know there's a leak and it's not safe.
Charcoal Grills
Those who prefer charcoal grilling can follow similar steps to clean the grate. However, you must also remove the coals and dust after use. Once the grill is cool, carefully scoop out or release from the bottom all of the old coal dust into a trash bag or bucket, and toss it in the garbage.
For additional guidance, always check your grill manufacturer's cleaning instructions.
Cooking Tips
Grilling: it's all about flavor! For "deliciously easy" ways to add robust flavors to everyday meals, yet keep the wholesome qualities of great ingredients, here's some "Grilling 101" for your outdoor kitchen!
And… for grilled flavors in little time, with no effort – and without firing up an outdoor grill—stock up these easy lean protein meals from Healthy Choice, such as Grilled Chicken with Smokehouse BBQ Sauce, Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo, Grilled Whiskey Steak, Grilled Chicken Baja and Grilled Basil Chicken.
Flavor with Marinades
Skip the salt shaker. Marinate before grilling instead! Marinating adds a layer of savory, spicy, or sweet flavor to meat, poultry, fish, firm tofu, and many vegetables that penetrates from the outside in. And it's a great complement to the flavors imparted by grilling. At the same time, the acids (vinegar, wine, tomato juice, citrus juice) in most marinades tenderize.
Marinate larger or less tender cuts of meat or poultry in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. For some tender meat cuts, delicate fish, tofu, and vegetables shorten the marinating time so the marinade doesn't over power the food. Thirty minutes may be enough.
How much marinade? Figure 1/2 to 1 cup of marinade per pound. If that's not enough to cover the food, turn the food in the marinade periodically for even flavors.
Marinate in a glass or stainless steel bowl; an aluminum bowl may react with the marinade and give an off flavor. For speedy clean-up and ease, marinate in a zippered plastic bag that's easy to turn in the fridge.
Be "marinade ready." If you don't have time to mix a quick marinade, many salad dressings can do the trick.
Create your own marinade:
One part oil to one part acid ingredient (for example, vinegar or lemon juice)—with herbs, spices, and other flavorings blended in.
Try olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian herbs…
Or peanut oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of sugar…
Or olive oil, tarragon vinegar and lemon juice, and herbes de Provence (often a blend of basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme).
Food safety "musts" for marinating:
Marinate in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
Discard marinade used for raw foods, and never brush it on cooked food!
For a sauce on cooked food, make extra marinade to set aside and use to "finish" your dish.
And another "delicious and easy" tip: For kabobs on the grill, try Healthy Choice Deli Meat – ham, chicken, or turkey – skewered with veggies or fruit slices, then marinated before grill time!
Rub on the Flavor
Time too short to marinate? Try another approach to add flavor at the grill—an approach that also can be salt free. Rubs – sometimes called a dry marinade - give food an intense crusty, browned outside flavor that complements the delicate cooked flavor inside. And it can be a great last-minute culinary solution for meat, poultry, and fish.
For grilled foods, rubs work great because they stick to the food's surface. And since they contain little fat, they don't cause flare-ups on the coals, as fat drippings and sauces may.
To rub flavor into your grilled foods:
Start with a homemade or store-bought mixture of dry herbs or spices, perhaps mixed with a little oil or mustard – and you're ready to go!
If you make your own, grind the spices and herbs together so they release their flavors and blend. Use a mortar and pestle, a coffee grinder (just for herbs), or the fingers and palm of your hand.
Try these simple, salt-free rubs:
For Greek flavor—oregano, grated lemon peel, garlic, and pepper
For hot Caribbean flavor – hot chili pepper flakes, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar
And for Chinese flavor – five-spice powder (often made of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and peppercorns)
Rub your rub… on meat, poultry, or fish before you grill it, even at the last minute. That's it. You're done!
Safe at the Grill
A great grilled meal is a safe grilled meal. For best-ever food that's safe to your plate, start with a clean grill. And keep this advice in mind:
"Prep" ahead. To avoid the flames, charring, and smoke caused by fat drippings, trim away visible fat, and drain off high-fat marinades. Another benefit: less fat in your meal.
Adjust the grates to cook thoroughly and not simply sear on the outside. By cooking too close to the coals or the flame, meat and poultry may look done, even though they're raw inside.
Prepare ahead for flare ups. For a gas grill, shut off the burners until the flame subsides then re-light; never use water on a gas grill. For a charcoal grill, simply move your food to another area on the grates.
Use a meat thermometer. Check meat and poultry—even burgers—to make sure they are thoroughly cooked inside:
Hamburgers, 160°F
Sausages (precooked and uncooked), 160°F
Steaks, at least 145°F
Pork, 160°F
Chicken or turkey breast, 170°F
Turkey or chicken legs, 180°F
And whole chicken, 180°F
Separate raw and cooked. To keep harmful bacteria on meat, poultry, and chicken from spreading to cooked foods and other raw foods, use different plates, cutting boards, or utensils for raw and grilled meat, poultry, or fish. Or wash the plates, cutting boards, and utensils between tasks. Tip: Plan ahead; before starting to grill, have a clean plate and utensils ready to take grilled food to the table.
