5 Mistakes to Avoid with Your Outdoor Gas Grill

Now that you have just gotten home from the store with that shiny new gas bbq grill, you have it all assembled and ready to fire up and get to grillin’. Wrong! There are some things you may want or need to consider before you place those beautiful steaks on the grill, so you can avoid some common mistakes that will ruin your well intended feast.

Safety! Now You’re Cooking with Gas
First, make sure there is at least half a tank of gas; it’s a real pain when you run out of gas before the food is done. Second, lighting the flame can be easily and safely done by turning on only one burner and immediately lighting it to avoid a fire ball; then you can simply turn on the other burners. Some grills come equipped with an electric ignition, some don’t. It is recommended that you use a butane grill lighter that has a long stem so you won’t get burned. After you are done cooking, make sure to turn off the gas at the tank. This way you have gas for the next cookout and it is certainly the safest way to ensure that the grill is completely turned off.

Adjusting the Heat
After lighting the grill, be patient! Wait at least 15 minutes for it to heat up. After it is all warmed up you can adjust the temperature to the desired setting depending on what and how you plan to cook. Once you have started cooking, leave the lid closed. If you are constantly opening the lid, you will slow down the cooking but more importantly, dry out the meat.

Over Population
Just because you have an almost unlimited source of heat doesn’t mean you should place as much food on the grill as possible. Leave some room for maneuvering the food around to avoid hotspots and flare ups. The rule of thumb is to leave approximately 30% of the cooking surface open for this purpose.

Hygiene
Keeping your gas grill clean will help you make sure that your favorite foods come out the way you want them too. Your grill is most likely not “self-cleaning” live your oven. Good grill hygiene will also help prevent flare ups and having the meat stick to the grill. Once the grill is completely warmed up, aggressively take a stiff wire brush too it and then coat the grill with cooking oil by placing some on a dry paper towel and wiping it down.

Storage
After you are all done with grilling and the grill has turn completely cold, the gas has been turn off at the tank and your belly is full, be nice to your grill and either cover it up or place it somewhere so the elements won’t do their best to impose their will upon it. Gas grills that are left out in the rain and snow will deteriorate quickly and parts, such as the electric ignition and thermometer, will start to fail. A nice, safely used and cared for gas grill is a happy and productive grill.

Advertisments