Grilling for the Holidays?

7/1/2022 (Permalink)

A man grilling out with a fire flare up happening.

We all know that Holidays revolve around family, food, and friends.  So we are sure there are going to be some grills fired up. It is good though to be safe and keep in mind that there are some best practices we want to share with you. 

HOW TO PREVENT FLARE-UPS 

Trim the fat.

Flare-ups usually happen because of excess fat, sauces or oily marinades. So trim as much excess fat as you can, without sacrificing flavor.

Keep the lid open.

When searing fatty foods, leave the grill lid opened.

Avoid wind.

Try to keep your grill away from windy areas. Wind forces oxygen between the grates, which can fuel a flare-up.

Move your food.

Try not to overcrowd your food on your grill. If a flare-up does happen, you want to be able to move your food away from the flame.

Burn the grease away.

During cooking, if grease pools, remove your food and turn the burners on high with the grill lid open until grease has burned off.

Clean your grill.

Keeping your grill clean and maintained will help prevent the dreaded flare-up. Food residue and old grease are both great fuel for a fire, so removing debris after each use is important.

Turn off the burners.

If your grill flare-up is out-of-control, turn off the burners.

Don't use water.

You’ve heard the adage, “Oil and water don’t mix?” Well that’s especially true for flare-ups. Spraying water on a flare-up can cause grease to explode. Don’t use it.

However, we know accidents happen. That is why SERVPRO is here. To help you if your grill or anything else was to catch your home on fire.