If I’m not there to tend your grill for you, please follow these safety tips:
1. When a grease fire flares up, don’t pour water on it to control it: Baking soda, a bucket of sand or a fire extinguisher work best.
Why not water? The water heats up in a flash because of the extremely high temperature of the grease, causing the water to vaporize on contact. The vapor then expands about 1000 times the liquid volume, and it now holds grease particles within it. Now the grease is spread over a larger area and the rate of combustion increases exponentially. The result is a flash of heat and light and energy – a sort of nuclear grease explosion.
2. Don’t rely on your sense of smell or a visual check to determine if food is done. A thermometer is the only reliable way to insure no harmful bacteria have survived the cooking process.
3. Never leave your grill alone: For safety’s sake, this much is obvious. But a corollary is: Always have everything you need close at hand. You don’t want to run into the house to get the spatula or seasoning. You could get distracted once inside – and, barring a fire, you can still wind up overcooking the food.
Stay tuned for tips on keeping the grill clean and keeping your cool when food starts to burn…
