Free PDF

For instance –

Did you know there are 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for lean? Many are cuts you are probably already eating, such as flank steak, T-Bone steak, and sirloin steak.

According to government guidelines, a serving qualifies as “extra lean” if it has less than 5g total fat, 2g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving.

A serving qualifies as “lean” if it has less than 10g total fat, 4.5g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving.

Get to know the 29 lean cuts and download a FREE handy reference guide you can use to help better choices for you and your family when shopping at the grocery store or take it with you when dining out.

Just click on this link:

Grilled ribeye steak served medium-rare with side of grilled gulf prawns.

Depending upon your level of overall confidence and outdoor cooking skills – you may aspire to preparing steaks that rival those served in expensive steak houses. There are really only a couple of secrets to grilling great steaks.

1. Good quality meat cut thick enough to sear without overcooking

2. High heat & clean grates

OK – there is definitely a third…

3. Patience & Experience

Here’s a pictorial I made of a mixed grill cook I did just this past weekend on the Big Easy Smoker-Roaster-Grill set up for grilling.

After reading the post please leave a comment or question in the Comment section (first time users will experience a delay in the comment being posted while it is reviewed and approved to prevent spammers) or sign up on the Users Forums to post questions about cooking steaks on your specific type of grill.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

_______________________

1. Choose the cut of meat that’s right for flavor and best for grilling – based upon your taste buds and your budget! Here’s some information about USDA Grades of Beef and here’s a Beef Chart to help you select meat best suited to preparation techniques. For this cook I happened upon a special deal on USDA Prime Ribeye steaks.

Here’s what the ribeyes I purchased looked like when I brought them home:

These steaks might look pretty familiar - it's the way most folks purchase meat, individually cut and packaged in plastic. From this viewpoint they look about the same size. Oops!

And here’s what they looked like when I open the packages:

Viewed in packaging, all steaks may appear to be about the same size - but when choosing a steak for grilling - thicker is most often better. Too thin and the steak can easily overcook before seared on the outside.

The marbled fat in meat adds flavor when grilling. The fat on the lip of the meat is pretty much excess and will only render and drip into the fire, where it adds to clean up and also contributes to flare-ups. Yes – I agree that it looks nice when it’s all browned and pretty on the plate when served, but it’s not necessary and your doctor would most likely agree it’s to be ignored – so why not trim it off prior to cooking?

Excess lip fat on a steak doesn't add to flavor only flare-ups.

This is the amount of fat I trimmed off the steak. When grilling the lip fat is not needed for flavor and my arteries also don’t need it!

Trim off excess fat from the lip to reduce flare-ups without losing flavor in the meat.

Dry the meat with a paper towel, removing any excess moisture that accumulated while in the package.

Dry meat prior to seasoning to reduce excess moisture. Remember: "Wet meat steams and Dry meat sears."

Season with a light pinch of good quality salt. This is freshly ground sea salt – the flakes are bigger and the flavor is different than ordinary table salt. I like the way it interacts with the meat to draw natural sugars and proteins to the surface – which become the source of the browning sear marks we all enjoy and associate with a grilled steak.

Salting the surface of a dry steak will start the chemistry going to draw out natural proteins and sugars. Contrary to conventional wisdom a pinch of salt evenly dispersed over the surfaces of the meat will not dry it out if present for a short while.

I generally let the meat and salt interact for at least 20 – 30 minutes prior to continuing the seasoning process. (Some techniques also use more salt and prep the steak longer, overnight in some instances. We’re not going to cover that here today.) Just before the steaks go on the grill I also season both sides with some freshly ground pepper and lightly spritz with canola oil before placing on HOT (450F – 650F degrees is considered the range at which meat sears) clean grates.

Here’s a tip on using oil and how it impacts searing:

At the higher temperatures necessary for searing meat if you try to wipe the hot grates with a brush or paper towel to apply vegetable oil – it will burn off almost immediately and often ignite the towel! Theoretically you could cook the meat on the grates without oil – because when the proteins in the meat are cooked to perfect point – they will ‘release’ – but that is difficult to judge and sometimes the heat doesn’t transfer evenly between the grates and the meat.  So we use a light spritz of high temperature cooking oil like canola, peanut or safflower – to name a few.  The oil serves as an aid to the conduction of heat between the grate and the meat.  You don’t need a lot and you don’t need expensive virgin olive oil or other cold pressed oils because they are not good for high heat cooking and will burn and turn bitter.

Want to learn more about oils best suited for outdoor grilling and cooking? Read “The oils I use for grilling and why.”

2. The steaks go on a HOT grate and “Where they hit – they sit.”

Seasoned and lightly canola oil spritzed steaks go on a HOT and clean grates.

To sear mark the meat you use the grates to transfer heat to the meat – this is both flavorful and eye appealing.  Depending upon the thickness of the steak and the heat of your grates – you can cook with the lid open or closed and/or move the steaks at 90 degree angles to get cross hatch marks on the steak. The amount of time spent searing is critical to the overall doneness. Keep an eye on the edges of the steaks where the grates and meat touch – as the meat begins to get to the perfect searing status the proteins will align and the meat easily releases.  You’ll start to see the browning from the grates at the edges of the meat – use tongs to lift a corner to see if the meat is seared to your preference and then turn  or flip, appropriate to the degree of doneness you wish, the thickness of the steaks and the heat of your grates.

When the steaks are sear marked by the hot grates, identified by the browning, the proteins align and the meat releases. To check if your steak is ready use tongs to lift a corner.

I generally advise most folks to use a “Sear and Hold” method for grilling steaks. This will help you to learn how to judge when meat is cooked properly and is a method used in many fine steak house.  Click on the link to learn a bit more about this method.  (There are other many other methods for grilling steaks and you may be a fan of one of them.  A very popular method is commonly referred to as the “Reverse Sear” method.  This technique roasts the steak using indirect heat until the internal temperature is approximately 90F – 100F degrees and then the meat is quickly seared on super high heat before serving immediately.  It works, is very tasty and – the opportunity for error is much greater for folks who are either new to grilling or who don’t have much experience with slow cooking meat.  I’ll be featuring this technique in a post later this spring – but if you’d like more details on this or any other grilling techniques – head on over to the Users Forums and search out a conversation or topic of interest.)

If you have a couple steaks of different thickness -  start grilling the thicker one first  by a minute or so – or this is an easy way to stop the cooking process of direct grilling while the other finishes.

Steaks getting too done or you want to slow one down? Piggy back!

I use an instant read thermometer inserted from the side into the center of the steak to check for temperature to determine doneness.  Everyone has their own preference and definition for what the various levels of Rare, Medium-Rare, Medium, Medium-Well and Well done are.  I’ll not argue you with your taste buds or desires.  Here are some guidelines from the USDA that you may wish to use for a reference point.

USDA Recommended Internal Cooking Temperatures

Rare: 130F degrees
Medium Rare: 145F degrees
Medium: 160F degrees
Well: 170F degrees

3. Patience and Experience

What I will argue is to remove the steaks either from the grill or the holding pan and allow them to rest for about 10 -15 minutes prior to cutting. This helps the juices in the meat redistribute as the fibers re-absorb juices released during the high heat cooking.

Here’s my Grilled Medium-Rare Ribeye Steak and it was DEE-LISH-US!

Grilled ribeye steak served medium-rare with side of grilled gulf prawns.

Download a free PDF version courtesy of the National Pork Board.

Our friends over at National Pork Board have produced a number of helpful publications with tips, tricks & good information about cooking pork.  One of my favorites is “The Pork Chop” aptly described as “Your Not-So-Secret Weapon for Solving Dinnertime Dilemmas – Pocket Guide to Pork.” Download a free PDF copy to your computer by clicking HERE.

Happy Grilling!

Is beef on your party menu?

Besides finding a date on the calendar and time that works for everyone; coming up with a guest list and getting out the invitations  – there’s all that other stuff that goes with hosting a holiday party.  Like cleaning and decorating, as well as finding the perfect attire that suits the occasion. Yep. It’s the holidays and regardless if it’s just the boys from the bowling team over to have a couple of laughs, the neighbors, co-workers, friends or relatives – you are known for making sure everything is in perfect shape at your parties.   But there is  always one really big decision to make when hosting a party:

“How Much To buy?”

You want to be a good host and make sure there is enough of your tasty grilled and barbequed food to ensure everyone has a helping or two, but these days you also want to watch the costs! Buy too much and it goes to waste. Buy too little and folks are hungry! What to do?

Our friends at the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have created a handy printable guide that may help you!  It tells you the serving size in ounces and how many servings you can generally expect from one pound of beef. Of course how you prepare and serve is up to you!

They call it, simply enough: How Much to Buy

Click on the link to open the PDF file. You will need Adobe Reader to view and print it.

_____________

Grilled Flat Iron steak, sliced and served with Mustard Bourbon sauce. Photo courtesy of the Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Here’s a tasty idea for your holiday party menu – grilled flat iron beef steaks.  Flat Iron steaks are fairly standard size and weight, thus easier to predict cooking times and plan for the number of guest.  One steak can provide 2 -3 servings. They are very “grill-able” – so you can cook them to order and prepare only what you need, as you need it!  Or cook several ahead to just a rare stage and hold, wrapped in foil, at a safe temperature until ready to carve – they will continue to cook slightly and generally will be at medium-rare when sliced.

CB’s EZ Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Mustard-Bourbon Sauce

Happy Grilling!

I’ve never fired a gun at a duck or, for that matter, at any animal. But I belonged to Ducks Unlimited for more than a decade. Why? Well first of all I love to cook wild game birds and secondly – I believe in their cause.  I  appreciate that it’s an organization of hunters working together to protect wet lands so the birds might flourish and they will continue to enjoy their sport. A win-win.  I call that sustainability.

Likewise, at least in my mind, I support my local farmers who sell in weekend markets and try to purchase from several each week. I also purchase from  both local and major grocery store chains and have begun reviewing the products I choose in an attempt to purchase those grown and processed in the U.S. and Canada. (My tomatoes come from Canada nearly year-round, can you believe that?)

Why? Well – it’s just a good thing to do. I think of it as both about sustainability and jobs. I live in what was once a small fishing village called Ballard that is now a neighborhood in a much larger Seattle. As a kid many of my friends dad’s, uncles and grandfathers were commercial fisherman and most of the boys looked forward to being old enough so they too could join the men and work on the boats. As my childhood buddies began to reach that magic age – the fishing seasons were shorter and the boats had to travel much further to complete their catch.  Even 30 years ago the fish were not as plentiful as they once were when the father’s fathers had begun fishing.

Fast forward and talk to folks who live along and make their living from the fisheries of most any coast line of North America and they may tell a similar story – we’ve lost much of the local fishing fleet. Some of it has gone the way of larger and more economical commercial fleets – but much of it is gone because the fish are not as plentiful and the individual fisherman can’t make a living.

What to do? I still love fish – and other seafood – so how do I consider my role in all of this?  Thankfully we live in a country that empowers us all with votes – dollars.  How I spend my money at the market is how I vote on what I want to see happen. If I purchase stuff at my grocer that comes from who-knows-where? – who am I supporting and are they as respectful of our fisheries as I believe the folks are that I talk to most every week or read about.  Good, solid, hard working folks who care about their industry and the world from which they derive their income.

Who and or what is there to help me with my choices?

Enter the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. I’ve come to regard it as a version of Ducks Unlimited – but for seafood.  Here’s a snippet from their press kit:

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch

It was once thought that the ocean’s supply of seafood could never be exhausted. Today, an ever-increasing demand for seafood is putting our oceans under severe pressure worldwide. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program works to broaden awareness of the links between the seafood on our plates and the health of our oceans as it helps consumers and businesses choose seafood that supports environmentally responsible fishing and fish farming practices. It’s a buying decision that can contribute directly to ocean health.

“Fisheries conservation is one of the most important marine conservation issues today,” says aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. “It’s an environmental problem whose solution is in people’s hands every time they buy seafood. Through Seafood Watch, we want to give people the information they need to make wise choices when they shop.”

A while back I posted a photo and story featuring grilled prawns. My friend and Guest Chef Terry “Way Down in Alabama” wrote to remind me that I better be using U.S. caught Gulf Prawns! You see he lives along the Gulf Coast – an area hit hard by some of the problems I’ve mentioned. I assured him I was.  They were clearly marked on the package that I purchased in the freezer at Kroger. And they were only a dime or two more than the imported stuff from Indonesia.

Using the Seafood Watch guidelines I decided that I could purchase seafood that was on the Seafood Watch list and listed in healthy supply – and that simple act on my part would both support the sustainability of fisheries and help the fisherman who earn their livelihood by catching it.  A win-win situation.

If you are interested, want to learn more and wish to down load the latest FREE PDF sustainable seafood list for your region – check out Seafood Watch.

Or if you would like to tell me I’m full of hot air – please leave a comment or send me a note. I’m always open to learning!

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

8.5" x 11" in size - reduced here to fit the page

This PDF chart is made available to you FREE by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board & National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Click on this link: Beef Made Easy®

You’ll need the latest FREE version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF.

The US Dept. of Health web site FoodSafety.gov

Cooking outdoors for friends and family can and should be a rewarding and tasty time for everyone.  But sometimes folks seem to forget the common practices of food safety they adhere to when cooking indoors only a few steps away!  I just can’t stress enough how important it is to pay attention to using the best practices for handling food in all the various states of preparation. From the way you store raw meat to how you keep it separated from other foods during preparation and even how you hold it for service – are all important to ensure you and your family have the best possible dining experiences when cooking outdoors.  There are many serious problems that can occur when you, as the chef of your kitchen, disregard basic hygienic safeguards.

I keep several food safety web sites on my ‘favorite bookmarks’ list and refer to them often to double check – especially now – having reached the ‘double nickle’ age and the senior moment gene has activated! The one I refer to most often is FoodSafety.gov and it’s now better. The newly enhanced U.S. Government Dept. of Health web site contains all manner of information about food safety, of special interest to me is the information on meat cooking times and storage. It’s easier to use and has plenty of quick tips, charts, and videos to help you stay on top of the best food safety practices to follow in your kitchen – be it the indoor or the outdoor one!  So give it a look and maybe bookmark it for future reference:  http://foodsafety.gov

Happy Grilling!

Raw ground beef. Photo by Cobalt123 at Flickr

When I was a kid I can clearly remember my dad using a hand crank meat grinder that clamped onto the counter top. He’d feed chunks of beef into it and turn the crank, as bright red and speckled white freshly ground meat disgorged from the grinder he’d take a fork-full and place it on a saltine, a good seasoning with both salt and pepper and we’d gobble it up. My mom would shriek and we boys all thought we were getting away with something!

Fast forward 50 years.

These days if you prepare your own ground beef and are 100% certain of the quality of the source of the meat – I would still advise against eating raw hamburger as we did. And especially if you purchase ground beef from the grocery store, either prepared at the store by the trained pros in the meat department or in those big tubes of ground meat. There is just too big of a risk that you’ll get some bacteria critter into your system and, just in case you’ve never had it, food poisoning is not a simple issue of discomfort. It can be life threatening!

Raw ground meat is not safe to eat. Hamburger is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160F degrees as measured by a tip sensitive meat thermometer. Color is an unsafe indicator of doneness. Wash your hands after touching raw meat and before touching ready to eat products like buns. Prevent cross contamination! (This also goes for storing condiments like mustard, ketchup, mayo and the veggies like onions (these are little petri dishes!) and tomatoes, cheese, etc. – keep them covered and out of direct sunlight, cooled at or below 45F degrees!)

Personally I’ve switched over to using frozen burger patties like Bubba Burgers and have pretty much stopped making my own. When I do make my own burger patties, I make them the night before, less than 1/2 inch thick, and I freeze them as well. The chance of cross contamination using frozen meat is pretty slim, but it does have it’s own set of precautions.  I toss the meat on a hot grill directly from the freezer, and don’t waste any time between freezer and grill!  Cooking a frozen beef patty has some advantages, the outside will thaw on the grates and sear, while the moisture starts to travel upwards through the ground meat and begin to cook the center, I flip and sear the other side – then hold in a pan on the grill without direct heat until they finish. This keeps them moist and cooked to the right temperature! You may recognize this as the Sear & Hold method I tend to promote that (I find) ensures the outside has tasty sear marks and the inside slowly cooks to done of 160F degrees while remaining juicy.

Here are a couple of posts that have more information about temperatures for cooking meat, some include free PDF downloads for reference:

Practice Safe Food Handling
Protect your family from food borne ills.

How to cook different cuts of beef.

BBQ & Food Safety
A Free Download from the USDA

Is it Done Yet?
A Free Download from the USDA

Take a minute to plan your outdoor cooking to ensure all food will be handled, prepared and stored safely.  As ‘Chef’ at your home, you are responsible for safe food practices!

Happy Grilling!

1. Temperature

Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.

• Safe temperature guidelines would be under 40F degrees for raw un-frozen food.
• Under OF degrees for frozen foods. Be sure to thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter!  (Get a FREE PDF from the USDA about thawing frozen foods:  The Big Thaw — Safe Defrosting Methods for Consumers)
• For hot foods the minimum safe holding temperature is over 140F degrees.
• The danger zone for bacteria to grow and flourish is between 40F degrees and 140F degrees – especially when there is moisture present. Food can certainly pass through this temperature zone during cooking – but if it remains too long in that zone and does not rise above it when cooking, then you are flirting with bacteria growth that will make you sick. (Note: That’s why I don’t recommend stuffing poultry before cooking – because the chances of the stuffing being in the danger zone is too great!)
• Check your kitchen appliances and ensure that the fridge and freezer thermostats are working properly.
• When cooking for your family, utilize an accurate meat thermometer. Veal, beef, pork, and most seafood should be cooked to at least 145F degrees. Chicken and turkey breasts should be cooked to at least 165F degrees, while ground chicken and ground turkey should be cooked to at least 165F degrees.
• Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal should be cooked to at least 160F degrees. Read this post on cooking burgers:  Tips & Tricks: Safe & Savory Beef Burgers

2. Storage

• When you purchase fresh or frozen perishable food – be prepared to get it home and prepared for storage as quickly as possible.  Meat and dairy should be kept cold between the store and home.  Use an insulated cooler in your car to transport if the drive home will be longer than a few minutes. Insist the grocery store bag cold and frozen items together so they can be placed in the cooler.
• After cooking and serving the meal, carefully wrap and/or place in sealed containers all cooked food and place the fridge or freezer immediately after use and/or shortly after cooking. Leftovers can then be safely eaten within a few days.
• Get a FREE PDF from the USDA:  Basics for Handling Food Safely
  
• The Culinary Institute of America is renowned for training some of the best chefs in the business. They recommend the following temperatures for refrigerating fresh foods to best keep the growth of bacteria down to a minimum during short-term storage:
  • Meat and Poultry: 33-36ºF
  • Fish: 32-33ºF (place on a bag of ice in tray in fridge)
  • Shellfish: Mollusks (clams, oysters, scallops): 32-33ºF
  • Shellfish: Crustaceans (live lobsters & crabs): 45ºF
  • Eggs: 38-40ºF
  • Dairy (butter, hard & soft cheese, milk): 38-40ºF
  • Fruit and Vegetables: 38-40ºF
    

3. Cleanliness

• Using good cleaning practices on all surfaces of counters, stoves, grills, coolers, appliances, utensils and other items that come into contact with food will be helful to prevent cross-contamination.
• Use dishwasher safe cutting boards and use color coded cutting boards for different purposes – so that raw poultry, seafood, red meat, vegetables and cooked food do not cross contaminate.
• Utilize anti-bacterial cleansing products- especially after handling of raw meat.
• Wash hands thoroughly with hot water and soap.
• Always dispose of paper towels immediately after use.
• Sponges can be decontaminated by wetting and microwaving on high for between 20 – 30 seconds depending upon the power of your unit.
• Towels and rags should be laundered in hot water.
• Keep the grates of your barbeque grill clean!  There is no reason to leave old food and burnt guck on the grates for the purpose of “seasoning.”  IT’S OLD DIRTY FOOD AND WILL ADD BAD FLAVORS TO THE NEXT MEAL!  Take care of metal grates as you would a treasured cast-iron pan by pre-seasoning before the first use, wipe clean with water and scrubbers after each use, and re-season with high-temp cooking oil to prevent rust. That’s seasoning!
• Get a FREE PDF from the USDA:  Be Safe — Don’t Cross-Contaminate
• When cleaning, do not forget to sanitize the kitchen sink! Pour diluted bleach down the sink and garbage disposal to kill any lingering bacteria – especially after preparing raw meat!
• Consider using Food Safe disposable gloves when handling raw meats – and be sure to dispose of before moving on to other tasks!
• Dropping food on the floor of your kitchen is not such a good idea…as the kitchen floor is pretty darn dirty from cooking and food spills, even when it looks freshly swept – and the dropped food will require cleaning or disposal. The 5 second rule for raw meat and other perishables is a bad idea.

4. USDA Guidelines

• The USDA has made specific recommendations for temperatures to be used when preparing food.
• We follow them and strongly urge you to follow them as well.
• Here’s a FREE PDF from the USDA: USDA Recommended Internal Cooking Temperatures

By adopting safe food handling practices in your kitchen – and outside at your grill – you can significantly decrease your family’s risk of food borne illness. First and foremost, please remember to wash hands and utensils often using appropriate hot water and soap, keep raw meats and prepared foods separately, cook foods thoroughly, and refrigerate foods promptly. Do all you can to help keep your family safe from food borne illness!

Happy Grilling!

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) offers these suggestions for general grilling safety.*

Following a few basic steps can help ensure safe, reliable operation of your outdoor cooking appliance, regardless of what type you use. The following safety tips are designed to guide you through the grilling process. Remember, anytime you work with fire, there’s a chance of getting burned. So, take precautions. Common sense and planning will prevent injuries.

RECIPE FOR SAFETY: FIRST, BE SMART AND INFORMED
The main ‘ingredient’ for safety in outdoor cooking is common sense. Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for assembling and using your grill or smoker, and call the manufacturer help line numbers if you have a problem or a question.

Read the owners manual.
Always read the owners manual before using your grill and follow specific usage, assembly, and safety procedures. Contact the grill manufacturer if you have specific questions. (Be sure to locate your model number and the manufacturer’s consumer inquiry phone number and write them on the front page of your manual.)

Grills are for outside, only!
Barbecue grills are designed for outdoor use, only. Never barbecue in your trailer, tent, house, garage, or any enclosed area because carbon monoxide may accumulate and kill you.

Use in well-ventilated area.
Set up your grill in an open area that is away from buildings, overhead combustible surfaces, dry leaves, or brush. Be sure to avoid high traffic areas and always barbecue in a well-ventilated area. Be aware of wind-blown sparks.

Keep grill stable.
When using a barbecue grill, be sure that all parts of the unit are firmly in place and that the grill is stable (can’t be tipped over).

Follow electric codes.
If electrically-operated accessories be used (rotisseries, etc.), be sure they are properly grounded in accordance with local codes. Electrical cords should be placed away from walkways or anywhere people can trip over them.

Use long-handled utensils.
Use barbecue utensils with long handles (forks, tongs, etc.) to avoid burns and splatters.

Wear safe clothing.
Wear clothing that does not have hanging shirt tails, frills, or apron strings that can catch fire, and use flame-retardant mitts when adjusting hot vents.

Keep fire under control.
To put out flare-ups, either raise the grid that the food is on, spread the coals out evenly, or adjust the controls to lower the temperature. If you must douse the flames with a light spritz of water, first remove the food from the grill.

Be ready to extinguish flames.
Use baking soda to control a grease fire and have a fire extinguisher handy. A bucket of sand or a garden hose should be near if you don’t have a commercial extinguisher.

Consider placing a grill pad or splatter mat beneath your grill.
These naturally heat resistant pads are usually made of lightweight composite cement or plastic and will protect your deck or patio from any grease that misses the drip pan.

Prior to lighting a gas grill, be sure to open the lid to prevent a buildup of gas.

Stay away from hot grill.
Don’t allow anyone to conduct activity near the grill when in use or immediately following its use. The grill body remains hot up to an hour after being used.

Don’t move a hot grill.
Never attempt to move a hot grill. It’s easy to stumble or drop it and serious burns could result.

Never leave a grill unattended once lit.
When cooking is completed, be sure to turn off the fuel supply and then turn the burners to ‘off.’

Inspect Your Grill – Often
Check your grill regularly for signs of wear and tear, particularly for hose cracks and possible leaks; also keep burners clear of dirt and insects that can block hoses or venturi tubes

Store Propane Tanks Properly
If you have an LP gas grill, always store your propane tanks outside and in an upright position.

Check Propane Tanks
Never use an LP cylinder if it shows signs of dents, gouges, bulges, fire damage, corrosion, leakage, excessive rust or other forms of visual external damage. It may be hazardous and should be checked by a liquid propane supplier

For a FREE copy of these HPBA Safety Tips & Commen Terms that you can download as a PDF to your computer to save or print CLICK HERE

* These tips are not intended to be an exhaustive review of safety guidelines and should not be interpreted as precluding other procedures which would enhance safe barbecue grill operations. Issuance of these safety tips should not be construed as an undertaking to perform services on behalf of any party either for their protection or the protection of third parties. The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association assumes no liability for reliance on the contents of this information.