Whether you are using a gas or charcoal grill, the possibility of a grease fire is always present. While it may seem like a disaster waiting to happen, a grease fire on your grill can be easily handled as well as prevented. Our staff at Bart Fireside knows a lot about grilling, and we would like to share with you some information from About Food to help you deal with grease fires while grilling this summer.
Reduce the Fat to Avoid Grease Fires
One of the best ways to prevent a grease fire while you are grilling meats is to remove any unnecessary fat from the cut of meat. The less fat there is on the meats you are grilling means the less chances you have of experiencing a grease fire. The oils in marinades you have used on the meat can also contribute to a flare up while grilling. Be sure you allow the meat to soak up the marinade and then drain the excess marinade away before placing the meat on the grill.
Have an Escape Plan
Since it can be impossible to completely remove all of the fats in certain meats like chicken with the skin on and hamburger patties, you want to have room to move the food from the fire if a flare up were to happen. Having an empty part of the cooking grate or an upper warming rack available will allow you to safely move food from the grease fire. Removing all possible combustibles is the first step when battling a grease fire. If you must, you can always move the food to a plate off the grill, allow the grease to completely burn away, and then put the food back onto the grill to finish cooking.
Keep an Eye on the Grill
If you are grilling a fatty cut of meat, you do not want to leave the grill unattended. A grease fire can completely burn up the meat within five minutes if you are not there to remove the food. For safety reasons, you should always keep your eyes on the grill when you are using it.
Do Not Use Water to Put Out a Grease Fire
You may have heard that oil and water do not mix. This is true when dealing with a grease fire. Spraying water on a grease fire can make the grease explode and worsen the fire. Water also does nothing to remove the grease from the grill. Instead of having a spray bottle of water nearby, you may want to have baking soda at hand to use to put the fire out after removing the food from the grill.
Let it Burn Before Cleaning up the Grease
If you have had a grease fire on your grill, you should let the fire burn away the grease left behind. After allowing the grease to burn off, you should clean out the burned grease and food from the bottom of your grill to prevent further grease fires.
Want to know more about grilling safety? Contact us at 803-772-7364 to ask our grill experts any questions you may have.
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