Expert Tips For Keeping Your Grill Clean As You Cook

There are lots of factors to consider when buying your first grill, one of which is that the device will require maintenance and upkeep to remain in tip-top shape. Cleaning is a massively important part of maintenance, as it preserves the condition of the grill and prevents food from taking on foul flavors. Celebrity chef Robbie Shoults, owner of Marshall Mercantile and High Horse 1898, as well as third-generation owner of Texas' legendary Bear Creek Smokehouse, gave Mashed some guidance on how to clean grills efficiently. Shoults encourages home grill masters to begin the cleaning process as soon as possible, before meat ever makes contact with the grill grates.

"When preheating, go ahead and brush those grates down to remove any dust or particles that may have been left from prior cooking," the chef advised, as stuck-on debris will become looser when the grill is warm. Similarly, Shoults recommended cleaning the grill again when the food has finished cooking. "Remember, it's always easier to give your grill a quick cleaning touch-up while it's still hot," he said. If you're short on supplies, consider that you can use an onion to clean your grill, as the impressive vegetable is effective as an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent.

According to Robbie Shoults, "There's nothing worse than trying to fish out a stray vegetable that made it all the way to the bottom of a hot grill." Fortunately, you can ensure that no vegetable is left behind by heeding the chef's advice and employing a grill basket when cooking small veggies over the open flames. Along with sparing food from the fiery depths below, grill baskets (or skewers if you're cooking properly sized veggies) help avoid the mess of burned vegetables, which you'll need to retrieve from the bottom of the grill before your next cooking sesh.

Fatty proteins, such as succulent steak and burgers, can also make a mess of your grill. In these cases, Shoults suggested using a drip pan to "catch some of the flammable juice and grease." Drip pans go underneath grill grates to catch fat, which can then be repurposed to make a delectable sauce to accompany your grilled feast. Thanks to Shoults' tips, you can lessen your cookout workload while simultaneously maintaining the quality of your grill.