Grilling Tips for The 4th of July!
Fourth of July – BBQ
All hail the Red, White and Blue, the 4th of July is fast approaching.
This Star-Spangled celebration also serves as an official kick-off to summertime and grilling season! So, before you pull the grill out of retirement from last year, I would like to share with you some preparation and precautionary tips. These tips will help to ensure that your grilling will be safe and delicious.
Chef Franco’s Tips for Prepping Your Grill:
(Prep the grill at least a day prior to using it for the first time.)
1. Gas grill: It may seem obvious, but make sure you have a fresh canister of propane. If you plan to use your grill often, start off the season with 2 on hand so if you ever run out of gas, you have a backup. Prior to connecting your new gas tank, thoroughly inspect all gas lines for cracks or small holes that could cause dangerous gas leaks. Once you’ve made an inspection of the gas line, proceed to connect the new tank.
2. If you have a charcoal grill, buy a new bag of charcoal briquettes. Do not use the saved bag of charcoal left over from last year. One doesn’t even want to know what could have contaminated the charcoals while months in storage. Those same contaminants will burn off and permeate into your food. Not a good thing! Fresh coals are always the way to go, even if the bag still looks brand new.
3. Ignite the grill at least 10 feet away from your home or apartment complex. Maintain a high flame for at least 10 minutes, to burn off any dust and debris that accumulated throughout the winter.
4. Always have a fire extinguisher on hand and kept a safe distance away from the grill, but close enough to access in an emergency situation. Refresh yourself with the safety instructions of your fire extinguisher. Designate a “fire marshal” for all your outdoor grilling.
5. DO NOT LEAVE THE GRILL UNATTENDED, especially around young children.
6. Once you complete the burn-off process, brush and scrape off any sediment on the grates with a new wire brush.
7. Allow the grill to cool slightly. Using a lightly-oiled clean cloth and some tongs, rub the grates to coat. This will prevent food from sticking to the grates, and help to create those appetizing and nicely pronounced grill marks.
Be sure to check out the Omaha Steaks Recipe center for delicious summertime grilling recipes!
Happy Grilling!
This post is paid for by Omaha Steaks.
All content and photos were provided by Franco Lania