BACKYARD PITMASTER Spring Grill Cleaning [ by Mike Stavalone ] 24 <strong>Philly</strong> <strong>Eats</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> June <strong>2017</strong>
“Last year’s grease on the grill. Last year’s ashes on the bottom. That’s what makes a Bundy Burger special” Al Bundy, “Married With Children”, 1989 Check the fuel lines for invisible openings. Create a sudsy mixture of soap and water. Using a paintbrush, apply the soapy mixture to the fuel lines. Turn on the gas, and brush more soapy water onto the gas lines. If any bubbles form, that indicates a gas leak. Immediately replace any fuel lines that exhibit signs of a gas leak. That may be true for the sitcom “Married With Children”, however for real-life back yard pit-masters, year old food is not the starting place for the perfect burger. The reasons are obvious but for the sake of clarity, let’s review them Pretty simple equation: Grease and oil go rancid and spoil causing bacteria to form inside your grill. Rancid food on the grates flavors you food but not the same way as salt and pepper! The grease that drips to the bottom of your grill vaporizes and also ruins your food. Grease sitting too long forms a black crust which is mostly carbon. The carbon tastes like burnt toast, Besides adding the wrong flavor to your food, the grease and oil contains water which turns to rust. Unless your hubby wants a new grill every spring (hint … Father’s Day!!), a rusted grill is not a man’s best friend! So what does this all mean? A spring and fall cleaning of your favorite grill not only extends the life of your grill but also keeps the unwanted flavors off of your food. These 2 cleaning along with regular maintenance – pre and post cook will keep your grill and more important, your pit-master happy for many seasons. So let’s talk about the BBQ spring cleaning and discuss the basics steps. Check the fuel lines for visible defects. If any fuel lines have damage, replace the parts prior to your next cook. Also be sure that the fuel lines have no kinks or bends. Bent lines can prevent gas from flowing correctly. Check the exterior of the gas tank for any damage as well; things like dents, erosion, punctures, or any evident signs of damage. If you find areas that have obvious damage, you could potentially have a gas leak. If you are unsure about the condition of your gas tank, have it inspected by a professional gas supplier. Check the ignition system. Turn the gas off, and test your ignition button to see if it creates a spark. If both the pressure regulator on the gas tank and the ignition system are running normally (meaning the pressure regulator is tracking and maintaining correct gas tank pressure, and the ignition system is sparking and lighting correctly), you can finish testing the grill by turning the gas back on and lighting the grill up as you normally would. If there is no spark, check the pressure regulator, and be sure it is secured tightly on the tank. Just like your stove at home, you can try to manually light the grill using a grill lighter. Just be sure to keep your arms and face away from the grilling area so you don’t burn yourself when the burners ignite. Once you know your grill is operating properly, it is time for the actual deep cleaning process. Turn the grill on high for 15 minutes allowing the grates to get hot. Allow enough time to burn off any leftover food and debris and wait until the smoke diminishes. Wire brush the grates removing any leftover food or debri. Turn over grates and repeat the process, being careful not to burn yourself. DO NOT clean your grates in the dishwasher. The grease from the grates will coat the entire inside of the dishwasher. If your grill grates are overly dirty, simply fill a bucket with hot water and dish detergent. With a brush, scrub both sides and rinse thoroughly. Be warned, if you do this on cast iron it will likely lose some of its non-stick June <strong>2017</strong> <strong>Philly</strong> <strong>Eats</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 25