Alright, I’ve got a multiple choice question for all of you:
When was the last time you cleaned your grill?
- Within the last week
- Sometime between 30 days and 6 months
- When I bought my grill
- What’s a grill and why should I clean it?
If you answered anything other than the 1st answer, you have some work to do.
The reality is that your grill (the surface you cook on) should be clean all of the time. If your grill has multiple layers of crispy carbon bits on it, you are doing you BBQ a disservice. You need a clean grill in order to have good BBQ. It doesn’t take long, especially if you get in the habit of doing it before each use. And you don’t need a fancy tool to do it.
On my Big Green Egg it takes me all of 30 seconds to clean the grill. I will usually get the grill hot and then use the side of the ash tool to scrape the grill clean. It’s quick and easy. The benefit of this regular cleaning is that my food doesn’t stick to the grill, even fish. Plus, I can get nice “grill marks” if I want.
The benefits of a clean grill are many and include better tasting food and a non-stick surface that makes cooking even difficult food like fish easy to do. So, if your grill or smoker is hiding a “dirty little secret”, get in there and clean it up. Your food will thank you.
