Grilling 101
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Before you get started, take important safety precautions, get the right tools and learn how to light your fire.
Grill Safety Basics
- Position the grill in an open area away from buildings and trees.
- Never add starter fluid to hot coals.
- Don't use a grill during high wind conditions.
- To extinguish coals, close all vents and cover the grill with a lid. Check coals several hours later to make sure they're completely out.
- Always follow maintenance directions for propane gas grills. Hoses must be checked for blockage — without enough air for proper combustion, gas may leak and explode if someone lights a match or cigarette.
- Never bring a charcoal grill indoors or into a tent, especially when coals are dying down. They emit large amounts of carbon monoxide.
Clean and Care for Your Grill
- Before heating, use a grill brush to clean off any food left from the grill's last use.
- If your grill rack has lots of tough baked-on grease, give it an overnight soak. Let the rack cool thoroughly, then put it inside a heavy-duty garbage bag. Pour a mixture of 1/2 cup dishwasher detergent and 1 gallon water over the rack and seal the bag. The next day, scrub the grime off the rack with a stiff brush, then rinse.
- Can't figure out what to do with an old, unused barbecue grill? Clean it off, then use it as a planter. The wheels will come in handy when you need to move plants into or out of the sun.
How to Light a Charcoal Grill
Get coals going quickly and easily with a chimney starter, an inexpensive device that's easy to use, recommends celebrity chef Bobby Flay, author of Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life: 75 Healthier Ideas for Big Flavor from the Fire. Here's how:
- Stuff the bottom of the starter with newspaper
- Turn the canister upright and fill the top with coal
- Set it on a heatproof surface or on the grates of the grill
- Light the paper and make sure it ignites fully
- Let it burn for about 15 minutes, or until the charcoal is hot
- Pour coal into the grill
No Grill? No Problem
If you don't have a barbecue grill but want your food to look and taste grilled, use a stovetop ridged grill pan. Most have a baked-on black finish that resists sticking and, when heated, leaves "grill" marks that would fool anyone. The ridges also keep foods above much of the fat that may drip off.
Before you start cooking, allow time for your pan to get good and hot, lightly brush it with oil, then grill as the recipe directs. Stovetop grilling can be smoky, so turn on your stove's hood fan and keep a window open.
5 Must-Have Tools for Grilling
According to Steven Raichlen of the PBS show Barbecue University, everyone should own these items before they approach the grill:
Long-handled, spring-loaded tongs. “The handles should not only be long — at least 16" — but stiff enough that you can pick up a whole chicken and they won't buckle.”
A long-handled, stiff wire grill brush. “It's essential for cleaning grates.”
An instant-read meat thermometer. “Knowing when food is done is the most important principle of grilling, apart from heat control. Get one at any cookware shop.”
A grill spatula. “Good for turning and prying food off the grill if it starts to stick.”
A long-handled basting brush. “Choose one with natural bristles, not synthetic ones, which can melt.”
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