Grilling Safely

by Tom Matthews,
Dunstable Volunteer Fire Fighters Association

Summer is here and I know what every man out there is getting ready to do: GRILL!!! Let's break out the ice cold adult beverage, fire up the grill, and cook some big thick steaks. However, before we do that we should do some preventative maintenance and go over some ground rules to ensure a safe grilling season.

First of all, if you have gas grill, you need to have your tank filled or swapped out. When doing so, transport the tank in a milk crate if you have one. This is a good way to keep the tank from rolling around. Do not transport it in your trunk. Put it in the back seat with the windows down and secire it with a seat belt. Once you have it filled take it immediately home, rather than doing other errands and leaving the tank in a hot car.

When you get it home hook it back up to the grill, and spray a soapy solution around the connection. If bubbles form, you have a leak, which you should fix before going any further. Do not use matches or a lighter to test for leaks. If you do suspect a leak shut the gas off, disconnect the hose and try reattaching it. If it continues to leak you may have a problem with either the tank or the regulator. Have a professional fix it.

Before lighting the grill, it’s a good idea to pull the grates off and give them a good scrubbing, and check to see if any critters have made a home in the grill over the winter. If this is the case remove and use a partial leach solution to clean everything.

When you finally fire up the grill, either gas or charcoal, make sure the lid stays open. I learned from experience, losing a few eyebrows in the process, that you never light the grill with the lid closed. When grilling make sure that you are not under another roof, awning, or umbrella. Make sure you are far enough away from any structure.

Never leave a lit grill unattended, especially when children are present. When it is time to shut off the grill, close the tank valve first, wait for the flames to go out, and then shut off the grill.

After the grill is cleaned, the gas is connected, and the grill is lit, let it warm up for a while to sterilize the cooking surface. Proper food preparation is also important to avoid food-born illness. Below are some great pointers for keeping you and your friends and family safe this grilling season.

• Keep everything (hands, grill, tongs or spatula, plates, cutting boards, etc.) clean by using hot, soapy water.
• Keep meat cold until ready to grill. Do not leave it out at room temperature.
• If grilling a frozen product, thaw in the refrigerator or microwave. Grill immediately after thawing in the microwave.
• Use separate clean tongs or spatula for removing meat or poultry from the grill. Place it on a clean plate to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked meat.
• Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperatures. Ground meat should be 160 degrees F., poultry at 180 degrees F, poultry breasts at 170 degrees F, pork at 160 degrees F, and steaks at 145 degrees F.
• If you are preparing steaks, ground meat and/or poultry at the same time, use a different knife, utensil or thermometer to check for doneness. For example, don’t use the same thermometer to test steaks that you used for testing the hamburgers. Alternatively, wash/rinse thermometers in hot soapy water between uses.
• .Avoid fire flare-ups by using lean meats and trimming away all visible fat. Raise the rack to the highest position away from the heat and keep food on one side of the grill and coals or other heat source on the other side.
• Cook fish in foil packets to retain natural flavors and protect it from smoke and fire.
• Cook meat and poultry completely at the grilling site. Partial cooking of foods ahead of time allows bacteria to survive and multiply to the point that later cooking may not destroy them.
• Place leftovers in the refrigerator. Throw out anything left out more than two hours, or after one hour if the room or area temperature is above 90 degrees F.
• Try grilling vegetables and fruits: summer squash, bell peppers, sweet onions, Roma or cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, mangoes, pineapple or peaches.
• Cut vegetables into half-inch slices or large chunks. Brush with warm oil, seasoned with garlic or other herbs. Turn only once, and grill until tender. Fruit should be halved with pits removed. Grill with the pulp side down (no oil needed).
• Before you heat the grill, rub the grill rack with vegetable oil using a paper towel, or coat the grate with nonstick cooking spray, to prevent the food from sticking.
• Never mix uncooked meats with cooked meats. Any harmful bacteria present in raw meat could contaminate safely cooked meat. Also, don't let the juices from uncooked meats come in contact with food that is ready to serve.
• Marinate food in the refrigerator before grilling. Marinating meats before grilling reduces possible cancer-causing substances. Marinades also enhance flavor, tenderize and keep foods moist while grilling. Try mixtures of herbs or spices with wine, olive oil, soy sauce, cider vinegar or lemon juice.
• Avoid fire flare-ups by using lean meats and meat trimmed of visible fat. Raise the rack to the highest position away from the heat or adjust the flame to low on a gas grill. Keep food slightly to the side of the heat source rather than directly over it. You can also place foil under the meat to prevent flare-ups. Use a squirt bottle of water to douse any high flames.
• Cook meat until no longer pink on the inside. Turn meat at least once during grilling to help cook it evenly. Use an instant-read thermometer placed into the deepest part of the meat — but not right next to the bone — to see if the meat is done. Temperatures vary depending on the type of meat.

Charcoal

If using a charcoal grill, wait until the charcoal turns ash white and for the lighter fluid to burn off before beginning to cook. Never squirt starter fluid on smoldering charcoals because it can cause a flare-up, and potentially serious burns. Also it is best to let the charcoal cool down before pouring water on it. Pouring water while the coals are still hot can cause steam burns and may splash the coals out of the grill and cause even more harm.

So now, with business behind us, we can all enjoy that iced cold beverage, fire up the grill, and put on that silly grilling outfit. Put some burgers, dogs and steaks on the barbeque and enjoy the wonderful days of summer.

Till next time,

Tom