Marinate before Grilling

Grilling can sometimes cause some toxic chemicals to form in the meat, particularly if you’re using old- model grills instead of the more modern and safer ones. To counter this, you can marinate your meat with acidic condiments like a teaspoon of vinegar and lemon a few hours before cooking. This will also add to the flavor and aroma of your food, and reduce cooking time.

Don’t Burn

The thing about charred meat is that the burnt part is said to contain carcinogens. If you want to reduce charring, regulate the heat in your griller. Studies have also shown that the smoke created by meat juices that drip on hot coals have carcinogens that can lodge in the meat when the smoke swirls around it. Better yet, purchase non-flame barbecue equipment such as infrared gas grills.

Lessen Doneness

Knowing that flames and smoke can cause carcinogens to deposit in the meat, it’s logical to assume that the more “done” the cooking is, the higher the rate of food becoming unhealthy. If you’re used to “well done” grilled beef, for instance, try “rare” or “medium rare” for a change. You might be surprised at how much more tender, juicy and tasty the latter are. Besides, overcooking can also reduce nutritive value.

Clean after Use

Tidy up your grill before storage. Scrub and scrape off all the burnt meat or any residue from the rack to prepare it for your next cookout. This way, you’ll always have a fresh, healthy and good-tasting batch of grilled food. Use a grill brush to clean up, or a steel wool, if necessary.

Whether they’re large outdoor gas grills or high-quality portable grills, you can get them from trusted kitchen product manufacturers like Solaire Grills, and be assured of excellent performance. Healthy cooking and eating are your best bets to wellness. Enjoy grilling and keep the good ol’ tradition alive!

A built-in gas grill can be of two types: the indoor and outdoor. The indoor type is attached to your kitchen countertop or island while the outdoor type, commonly placed in the patio, can be simple like a framed island with a counter. This grill is powered by propane or natural gas, and makes an excellent way to grill the grub without burning or undercooking it. Regardless of location, those durable built-in gas grills will need proper care and maintenance all the same.

Grill Residue

Every time your grill meat, seafood or vegetables, you can’t really avoid leaving some shreds stuck in the metal bars. To remove them, turn your gas grill high and wait until all the smoke dissipates. Once it does, use a grill brush to clean the grate. Don’t brush too hard, though, lest you end up damaging the grate’s protective coating.

Burning Clean

Disassemble the burners and tape all openings where gas passes through and brush off any charcoal. Next, place the disassembled parts in warm and soapy water and clean the outside of the grill. After the parts have been thoroughly cleaned, be sure to properly put them back.

Seasoning Racks

To maintain clean grill racks, wash them thoroughly in soapy water; this also prevents food from sticking to them. Then place melted lard or vegetable oil all over the rack, cover completely in foil and place in the oven. Let it stay for about thirty minutes, then remove, and allow to cool. You can repeat this procedure two more times for the grills to have a non-stick surface.

Additional Tips

Coating the grill with vegetable oil after cleaning also serves to prevent rust. Always cleaning your grill after each use not only keeps it in good condition but also makes it all ready for your next barbecue.

Outdoor kitchen product manufacturers like Solaire Grills offer several options for modern-day grills including the versatile infrared gas grill that grills as well as bakes! Whatever your choice, remember to always keep the unit clean. Otherwise, not only will it make your barbecue taste bad, but it will also not be able to serve you for years to come in this country’s time-honored tradition of grilling.

Gas

Before you light the grill, check all connections for gas leaks by using a leak-detection solution made with a teaspoon of mild liquid hand soap and a cup of water. Wipe this along the hose or on any of the connections; if it bubbles, this indicates leakage. Turn off the grill immediately and don’t use it until the leak is fixed.

Smoke

“Smoke gets in your eyes”, as the old song goes; it can actually also get in you clothes, hair, and lungs. Smoke from the grill contains carbon monoxide and other dangerous substances, so keep a safe distance from it. Everyone loves the smell of smoke from outdoor cooking, but it’s best to let it waft in the air, and not breathe it in.

Fire

Uncontrolled fire is one of the most destructive forces in the universe and you need to protect yourself from it at all costs. For this, you need a fire extinguisher and must know how to use it. You also need to know how to cut fuel supplies and the number of the fire department for any emergency. Always assign someone to keep an eye on the fire while grilling. In case of burns it would be very helpful if you know how to apply first aid.

Location

Where you place your grill or do your grilling is critical to your safety. Your grill user’s manual will tell you the minimum distance around your unit that must be kept clear of any flammable objects. When you set-up your grill, make sure that there isn’t anything within the required distance that will force people to walk too close to the grill. Of course, don’t allow children to play near the grill, too.

There is additional danger of fire, injury, and even death, if an equipment is of inferior quality. To ensure utmost safety, buy only Solaire grills from companies that guarantee their cooking equipment’s proven quality, regardless of whether they are portable, infrared, or conventional built in grills.

Grates

Spraying a light olive oil coating on your grate is a good way to keep meats from sticking, and also serves as a good grill cleaner. That said, the best grill cleaner would have to be elbow grease or good ‘ole manual labor. Brush the grille with olive oil immediately after use; but this is not to say that you should brush the grille while it’s still blazing hot. Wait until the grill has cooled down, hit it with the wire brush and wipe the grease clean with a dry towel.

Use your oven

Some ovens have a self-cleaning setting. If your oven has this feature, then you can clean your grill easily without much elbow grease. Simply remove the grate, place it right onto the oven and set the self-cleaning feature. The oven will heat up to about 900 degrees Fahrenheit, which will incinerate all food bits from your grate.

Soap and water

If the grill has been unclean for a while and it’s caked with cooked-on food, you will need to soak it in soap and water. If your sink is large enough, you can use it for your soak, otherwise use a large basin or bin. Soak the grill in warm soapy water for at least two hours. Later, scrub with a stiff wire brush, rinse, and let dry.

Annual cleaning

Once a year, disassemble your grill and clean it from the ground up. Inspect your burners to ensure they aren’t clogged. Then, fire the grille up for a minute to make sure you have cleaned it out completely.

Rust

Over time, even the best outdoor gas grills will rust. You need to buff out the affected area with fine sandpaper and rub it with oil to effectively contain rust. Follow these tips to ensure that your infrared grill, like the Solaire, will last a very long time.

Why not? Everyone knows that the kitchen and dining area is the heart of the home. This is the busiest part of the house, where household members and guests alike converge for hearty and lengthy conversations and exchange of ideas. The good news is that the central area of the home can be taken outside. By having modern built in grills in your backyard or patio, you can create another space—al fresco—where you can entertain visitors while preparing scrumptious meals.

For anybody who loves the outdoors and enjoys hosting parties, an outdoor kitchen is like manna from heaven. It gives you the opportunity to relish the open-air venue while doing your household duty. With such a relaxing setting, what more can you and your guests ask for?

Building an outdoor kitchen, though, is not an easy task for it requires a lot of elements. First, you must decide if you intend it to be just for family dining or for hosting parties as well? If you plan to host parties, you must also consider how frequent it will be? Answering such questions is important when choosing a built-in grill and the accessories and appliances that would go with it.

In fact, an outdoor kitchen can be customized to fit your need and preference. You can choose the type and size of the grills, side burners, rotisseries, doors, drawers, and even paper towel holders. Your dream outdoor kitchen can also be furnished with refrigeration units, plus other appliances and features for your convenience.

On the other hand, if you want to skip going through all the considerations mentioned above and make things simpler, you can have handy portable grills installed in your backyard by companies such as Rasmussen Iron Works, Inc. Whatever route you take, there’s no doubt that once completed, you will enjoy having an al fresco lunch or dinner prepared in your outdoor kitchen.

These are indeed special occasions for relaxation and bonding. Yes, going out of town with family and friends can (and should) be a pleasant experience, especially if you come well prepared. You need to bring certain provisions or the fun can easily turn into frustrations of enormous proportion. For example, can you imagine what it would be like if you forget to bring a lightweight portable gas grill for cooking your food?

It’s true, you can always pack ready-to-eat food but, where’s the fun in that, especially if you’re out in the wilderness for several days? There’s nothing like cooking outdoors and smelling a mixture of food aroma and fresh air to add to the rich experience of camping. Of course, you can use other means to cook food outside like charcoal or wood, but they can be inconvenient.

With a portable cooking device like modern Solaire grills, you can have fun while preparing meals outdoors. Such devices use infrared burners for better heat control, to cook food faster and more evenly while retaining all the flavors—and this results in great tasting food. Ordinary gas grills will not be able to provide you with these advantages.

Portable gas grills are very handy and versatile, which make them your ideal companions in any outdoor activity. They usually have non-stick surfaces, are lightweight, and portable. You’ll definitely have no problem cleaning these cooking devices, and the best part is that you can place them almost anywhere, such as in your car trunk.

In fact, you need not go far from your neighborhood to use these portable gas grills. You can use them in your own backyard, porch, or balcony. They are affordable, and come with various accessories to afford you convenient cooking. You may contact companies such as Rasmussen Iron Works, Inc. if you think it’s high time for you to have your own portable grill.

Propane

Propane is a simple name for C3H8, which means it has three carbon atoms and eight hydrogen atoms. It’s one of three hydrocarbons mainly used in grilling; the other two are methane (CH4) and butane (C4H10). Propane is the most widely-used fuel for barbecues. It usually comes in liquid form stored in a small tank.

In terms of energy output, however, butane has the highest yield of the three at 126 Megajoules per cubic meter (compared with propane’s 96). However, butane doesn’t work well when grilling in the cold as it tends to become cooler the more the grill uses it. Propane can hold itself in the winter months, giving grillers all-year grilling capability.

When propane reacts with oxygen, it produces carbon dioxide, water, and heat. Carbon dioxide is an essential part of nature; plants need it to produce oxygen which will be used by the grill to produce more CO2 again. The only time when carbon in grilling becomes harmful is when thegrill fails to burn propane completely, emitting carbon dioxide’s more harmful sibling, carbonmonoxide.

Infrared

As carbon is a core element of life, yet people today are careful not to add more to the air they breathe, many reliable built in grills, such as those designed by Solaire, keep the footprint to a minimum. These grills won’t take out carbon entirely but they will cut the amount of carbon sent to the atmosphere. Infrared grills are notable examples of appliances that keep carbon emissions low.

Infrared grills still use gas, but don’t produce flames. Instead, the grills heat a ceramic plate that emits heat via radiation. As there’s no fire, the grill produces less smoke than the regular propane grill. Nevertheless, the fact that it runs on the same source of fuel proves that carbon is a key player in grilling.

According to grilling tips from the University of Illinois Extension, marinating must be done indoors. Meat exposed to outdoor elements stands the chance of attracting bacteria. Freezing and grilling are guaranteed to kill the stragglers.

Cooking Temperature

Cooking temperature is instrumental in eliminating bacteria or preventing new ones from breeding. This varies for different kinds of meat, ranging from 140 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. With a heat output of 14,000 Btu, cooking appliances like the portable Solaire grills can reach the proper temperature for cooking meat safely. Most beef cuts will cook at 140 degrees, but burgers and other ground meat mixtures require 165 degrees.

Some cuts of meat need to cool for at least three minutes after grilling before serving. Beef and pork are examples of this. During this period, the temperature inside the meat continues to rise, killing more bacteria in the process. Don’t let grilled meat drop below 80 degrees as it might attract bacteria. If the climate is warm enough, serve the meat within an hour.

Precooking

If the bacteria in food won’t harm you, the carcinogens in smoke might. High temperatures cause chemical reactions in meat, forming two cancer-causing agents: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). PAHs and HCAs increase the longer the meat stays on the grill.

To avoid exposing the meat too long on the grill, cook the meat beforehand. Popping meat in the microwave for at least five minutes will help draw out the PAHs and HCAs. Put the meat on the grill immediately after precooking to retain its heat.

Clean Grills

Grills tend to get dirty after each use. Gas types do not produce as much charred stains as other grills, but it builds up grease. Traces of grease may trigger the formation of carcinogens the next time you fire up the grill. Clean grills to prevent the buildup of PAH and HCA.

Grilled food is good when you know it’s safe. With the right method and equipment, like the portable gas grills from Solaire, safe grilled food is possible.