Iowa State University Extension

Grill Safety Tips
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission encourages consumer to routinely perform the following safety checks to reduce the risk of explosion:

• Check tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders or food grease. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to clear blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.
• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches or open flames away from a leaking grill.
• Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch or under a surface that can catch fire.
• Use caution when storing LP gas containers. Always keep containers upright. Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors. Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill.

The National Propane Gas Association/Propane Education & Research Council adds these tips:

• Make sure the grill burner controls are turned off and keep the cylinder valve closed when not in use.
• Make sure the gas grill is shut off and completely cooled before covering it after use.
• When a grill is not in use, cover disconnected hose-end fittings and burner air intakes with small plastic bags, or obtain protective fitting caps from the propane gas retailer to keep out dirt, insects and moisture.

Charcoal Grill Safety Tips
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds consumers that charcoal produces carbon monoxide gas which can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. To reduce carbon monoxide poisoning, follow these tips:

• Never burn charcoal inside a home, vehicle, tent or camper. Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
• Since charcoal produces carbon monoxide fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

Before Grilling

• Shopping: When shopping for food to grill such as meat, make it one of the last items in your cart. To guard against cross contamination, place packages of raw meat in a separate bag from foods that will not be cooked such as ingredients for a green salad.
• Refrigerate: Either get the food home promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours or have an insulated cooler with ice with you when shopping. If the temperature is about 90 degree, refrigerate within 1 hour.
• Thaw: If you are starting with frozen meat, you have several options:
  • Thaw in the refrigerator
  • Thaw in a sealed package in cold water
  • Defrost in the microwave BUT make sure the food is placed on the grill immediately to be cooked.
  • Cook it from the frozen state. This works best with foods of uniform shape and thickness such as meat patties.
• Keep Cold Food Cold: Only remove from the cooler or refrigerator the meat or poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill. If using a cooler, be sure the temperature inside is staying at 40 degrees F or below. Keep the cooler in the shade and avoid opening the lid too often.
  

Food Safety Grilling Reminders
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (fightbac.org) which is part of USDA offers several reminders about keeping food safe when grilling:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, especially raw meat.
• Always marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors. Do NOT use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. If you plan to baste the food during grilling, BEFORE meat is added to the sauce, pour some in a separate dish to be used for basting or dipping.
• When grilling foods using charcoal, preheat 20 to 30 minutes or until the coals are lightly coated with ash. (If using a gas grill, heat for a minimum of 5 minutes to kill bacteria.)
• If you partially cook food in the microwave, oven or stove to reduce grilling time, do so immediately before putting the food on the grill.
• When taking foods off the grill, do NOT put cooked food items back on the same plate that held raw food UNLESS it has been washed with hot, soapy water first. In hot weather (above 90˚F) food should never sit out for more than one hour before going in the refrigerator.

Jan’s Meat Marinade (Up to 2 lbs meat)
This recipe is a family favorite. Because it contains both salt and Worcestershire sauce that are sources of sodium, balance the meal by eating plenty of vegetables and fruit. Note: Allow 1/4 to 1/2 cup marinade per pound of meat.

• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine marinade ingredients in gallon size plastic bag. Add meat and close bag securely. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, but not longer than 24 hours (the meat will get mushy).
Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade.

Jan’s Beef Kabobs
Use whatever vegetables are in season and enjoyed by your family. Be sure to wash all produce in cold running water before cutting. Must have’s in my family when serving kabobs include:

• Onions – quartered and broken into sections
• Peppers – green are the most economical, but red and yellow are sweeter and add great color variety – cut into large pieces
• Mushrooms – button or baby portabellas work well
• Summer Squash – both green and yellow zucchini add color and flavor. Cut into thick half circles.
• Tomatoes – These add great color and nutrition, but cook faster than the other vegetables. I would recommend a separate skewer of cherry or Roma tomatoes that are cooked for about 4 minutes total.

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes before grilling. Alternately thread pieces of beef and vegetables onto the skewers leaving a little space in between pieces to allow for easier heat penetration and more even grilling. Place kabobs on hot grill and cook for 8 to 12 minutes or until a minimum temperature of 145˚F (medium rare) is reached.

• 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice
• 14 1/2 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
• Heavy duty aluminum foil

Place rice in the center of a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Bring up sides to form a bowl to hold liquid. Add the broth and fold the edges of the foil to seal the packet but leave enough room for expansion and circulation as the rice cooks. Allow about 15 minutes on the hot grill for the rice to cook. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

• Peaches
• Plums
• Apricots

Cut fruits in half and remove the pit. Spray the cut edge with low-fat butter spray and sprinkle with brown sugar and a dusting of cinnamon. Grill over medium heat, cut side up for several minutes. Turn and grill until the fruit is soft, but still holds its shape. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pineapple is great on the grill also. Cut it into slices or spears. You may wish to treat it with the butter spray and brown sugar or just warm it on the grill.