"Fast Eddie" Maurin, a grand champion barbecuer and also a professional firefighter, offers some tips on safety when you're cooking outdoors over an open flame. - To avoid grease fires, clean your grease pan or dripping pan frequently. Caked-on grease mixed with charcoal residue is a fire hazard.
- Keep a spray bottle or squirt bottle filled with water handy while you're cooking. If you're cooking with your grill lid open, flames can leap up and get out of control as oils drip down into the ignited coals. A quick spray will help you keep the flames in control as you cook. Spray a stream of water at the base of the flame to knock it down quickly. If the flames should happen to become so high that the spray is ineffective, close the lid immediately. If necessary, grab some baking soda from the kitchen and throw it on the flames to douse them.
- If you have a gas grill, change your lava rocks periodically, or consider replacing them with "porcelain rocks." These disc-shaped alternatives to lava rocks are less porous and less likely to accumulate grease over time. This results in greater safety and allows you to maintain a more even flame over the surface of the grill.
- If you have a gas grill, check your hoses and connections for gas leaks. To do this, first turn off the gas supply from your propane tank or permanent gas line. Spray the connection points on your hose and connectors with a soap-and-water solution mixed in a spray bottle. Bubbling at a fitting or on the hose surface indicates a gas leak (figure A). Tighten the connections or replace the hose as necessary, then repeat the process to make certain that the leak has been stopped.
- If your grill bottom has vent holes, be certain that it also has an ashcan to catch hot embers that might fall through onto a wooden deck or other flammable surface.
- Use a cylindrical water smoker or "bullet smoker" only on a concrete or nonflammable surface. Because the bottom of this style of smoker is so close to the ground (figure B), there is a danger that a wooden or other flammable surface underneath could ignite.
- Wet down burning embers before disposing of them. Coals can smolder for hours and may not appear to be burning. If they are placed in a trash container with flammable materials, a fire could quickly ensue.
- In general, keep your barbecuing set-up in an open area away from the structure of your home. Check with your local fire codes. If you live in an apartment or condo, check to see whether there are regulations that establish what types of barbecue equipment you're allowed to use.
- Be aware that there are alternatives to chemical lighter-fluids for igniting charcoal fires. If you do use a chemical starter, use it safely and according to the instructions that come with the product. These are the steps for starting a fire using charcoal starter:
- Locate your grill in a well-ventilated area.
- Stack the briquettes in a mound and soak them thoroughly with the liquid starter.
- Immediately light the mound in several places and then step back.
- Wait until the flames go out and the coals are covered with gray ash before you begin cooking.
- Don't spray additional starter onto lighted coals. The flame could travel up the stream of flammable liquid and cause an explosion.
- Never -- under any circumstances -- start a grill fire using gasoline. Gasoline is flammable, toxic and explosive. It is not intended for use in cooking situations.
Web site resources for gas grills, general barbecue information and Brazilian barbecue (churrasco): Information and supplies for gas grills and accessories Barbecue gift packages and accessories One of the most popular sites about barbecue on the Internet -- great general information. A site dedicated to Brazilian barbecue (churrasco) About.com barbecue information, including a list of associations
RESOURCES :
Skewer Cooking on the Grill
Model: 1558671226
Author: Bob Simmons and Coleen Simmons
(1995)
Bristol Publishing Enterprises
Website: www.bristolpublishing.com
National Barbecue Association
National Barbecue Association
Douglas , GA 31533
Website: www.rbjb.com/rbjb/nbbq.htm
Barbecue Supplies (Barbeques Galore)
Barbeques Galore
Website: www.bbqgalore.com
The Great Barbecue Companion: Mops, Sops, Sauces, and Rubs
Model: 0895948060
Author: Bruce Bjorkman
(March 1996)
Crossing Press
The New Grilling Book: Charcoal, Gas, Smokers, Indoor Grills, Rotisseries
Model: 0696210290
Author: Kristi Fuller
(April 2000)
Better Homes & Gardens Books
National Agricultural Library (USDA)
USDA's national agricultural library
National Agricultural Library
Website: www.nal.usda.gov
Memphis Barbecue, Barbeque, Bar-B-Que, Bar-B-Q, B-B-Q
Model: 0925175161
Author: Carolyn S. Wells
Finger Lickin, Rib Stickin, Great Tasting Barbecue
Model: 0894802089
Author: Jane Butel
Workman Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.workman.com
Weber's Art of the Grill : Recipes for Outdoor Living
Model: 0811824195
Author: Jamie Purviance
(1999)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Chronicle Publishing Company
Website: www.chroniclebooks.com
On the Grill : A Complete Guide to Hot-Smoking and Barbecuing Meat, Fish, and Game
Model: 1558218068
Author: A.D. Livingston
Jerk: Barbecue from Jamaica
Model: 0895944391
Author: Helen Willinsky
The Cook's Encyclopedia of Barbecues, Grills & Outdoor Eating
Model: 0754808025
Author: Christine France
Weber's Big Book of Grilling
Model: 0811831973
Author: Jamie Purviance
Chronicle Publishing Company
Website: www.chroniclebooks.com
The Gas Grill Gourmet: Great Grilled Food for Everyday Meals & Fantastic Feasts
Model: 1558321101
Author: A. Cort Sinnes, John Puscheck
Harvard Common Press
Website: www.harvardcommonpress.com
Better Homes and Gardens Gas Grill Cookbook
Model: 0696000628
Author: Shelli McConnell (Editor)
Better Homes and Gardens Books
Website: www.bhg.com
GUESTS :
Fast Eddie Maurin
Kansas City Firefighter/Barbecue Grand Champion
Information private
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