Grilling Tips

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner! 
It's that time of year when you can smell the mouth watering smell of outdoor grilling!

With all the great memories and fun times that can be had grilling outdoors, just as many can be ruined by a grill that won't light, smokes too much, or cooks unevenly!

These problems can be avoided by simple preventative maintenance that any home owner can perform.
Burner ports can easily become filled with grease and clog.  Clogged burner ports lead to hot and cold spots on the grill.  Burners can last a long time when properly maintained.  When your burner is beyond cleaning, you can purchase replacement stainless steel burners for around $30.
The flames should have a nice blue color with yellow tips.  If not, something isn't burning properly!  The most common cause of improper burning is poor gas pressure.  Simply unhooking your hoses will unpressurize your system.  After hooking everything back up, slowly open your valves and check the color of your flames.
Grill grease traps are typically trays or soup cans beneath the firebox that collect fat. Keep these traps clean and drained because large pools of grease can ignite. Burners combined with a grease fire will be way more heat than a grill can handle.
Before firing your grill up for the first time, you should always check your hoses for leaks.  Believe it or not, rubber hoses will deteriorate.  Simply coating your hoses with soapy water and looking for bubbles will expose any cracks or leaks.  You can purchase new hoses with a regulator for around $20.
Sometimes called the radiant or flavorizer bar, this part of the grill evenly distributes heat to the grate above and produces smoke when food drippings fall down.  This is most frequent part of a grill to wear out.

Keeping a grill protected from the weather is the easiest way to preserve it. Covers should have a cloth inner lining to draw moisture away from the metal. A simple plastic sheet holds moisture in, creating a humid environment around the grill, which can lead to rusting. Use a canvas, cloth, or vinyl cover that fits the grill appropriately. Keep in mind that UV rays beak down cheaper, generic covers.  You can purchase new covers from $10 up to $100, depending on just how much you want to spend.

Keeping these few general tips in mind will give you a much more enjoyable outdoor grilling experience.  Also, to help with your outdoor grilling experience, we have included a free recipe from "Char-Broil Everybody Grills" magazine that includes over 200 grilling recipes! 

Spicy Maple Grilled Wings

Ingredients
1 package (18-24) chicken wings
1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and paprika
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons Thai chili sauce

Directions

Mix together salt, pepper, and paprika; then season wings.  Preheat one side of grill to medium, the other side to low.  In small saucepan, add syrup, sugar, butter, and chili sauce.  Bring to a simmer, whisking briskly.  Remove from hear.  Grill wings for 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium heat; then transfer them to low heat burner.  Continue cooking over this burner, turning occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until skin is nicely browned and crisp.  About 2 minutes before removing them from the grill, brush wings with maple glaze.  And finally, ENJOY!