How to Use a Gas BBQ Grill

There's nothing like food cooked on the grill, and while charcoal has its supporters, it's hard to beat the convenience and precision heating of a gas grill. With some simple tips for proper operation and maintenance of your gas grill, you'll be cooking with gas.

Things You'll Need

• Meat thermometer
• Portable timer

Instructions

Getting Ready

1. Clean your grill. A clean grill cooks more efficiently and produces tastier food. Remove the cooking grid from the grill and clean it with soapy water and a sponge. If the grunge is too tough for a sponge, use a scouring pad, but take it easy on enamel-coated grids. Remove and brush off the ceramic coals, then space them evenly around the burner in a single layer. Replace the coals often.

2. Light the grill. Today's gas grills have automatic igniters and separate controls for multiple burners. You just set the control to the "on" position and push the igniter button.

3. Allow the grill to preheat before you start cooking. After igniting the burner, close the lid and wait 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. You're ready to cook when about three-quarters of the ceramic coals are covered with ash.

Cooking with Gas

1. Find a recipe. Just like cooking indoors, it's foolish to grill something for the first time without a recipe. Sure, you'll figure it out on your own eventually, but trial and error is an expensive and frustrating way to stumble upon the right recipe.

2. Use a meat thermometer and a battery-operated timer. Again, guesswork is a poor cooking technique.

3. Use a hinged grill basket to cook delicate foods, including some types of fish and vegetables.

4. Use wood chips to season foods. Soak them for an hour before cooking. Don't put the chips directly onto the lava rocks. Many grills come with a container for using wood chips, or you can buy these containers separately.

5. Hold off on the sauce. It's a common mistake to slather meats with sauce during the entire cooking process. The fat and sugar in these sauces will cause flare-ups that will scorch the meat and leave a mess on your grill. Wait until the last minutes of cooking before applying sauces.

Tips & Warnings

• Close the lid and run the grill on high for 5 minutes after cooking. This will help burn off grease and keep the grill clean.

• Position your grill on a stable, heatproof surface, away from buildings, outdoor furniture, brush and overhanging trees. Never leave a lit grill unattended. Flare-ups are inevitable and can quickly ruin the food.