Cleaning the Grill

[jgg85234]

I frequently read that you should just scrape off the grills, and get ready for the next cook.

That's how I've always done it on my Weber Kettle. Once in a while I'll get out the steam cleaner and really try to get the grills to look shiny again. I usually give up and just buy new ones.

When I got the WSM last year, I decided that since I wasn't using direct heat (fire) on the grill, I should get out the SOS or Brillo pads after each cook, and make them look new after every use.

Now that lots of us are using the Smoke 'n Sear regularly, I'm wondering if we're in the same situation. One side of the grill regularly gets flamed, the other side is usually cooking at lower temperatures.

I've looked at lots of photos, and I see shiny silver grates, and lots of grates that look like mine (blackened).

What are you doing now, and what should we be doing?

Jim

[Spinaker]

I usually just open the vents and let it run hot for the remained of the cook. After that, I don't do anything. If there is some residual stuff on the grate I might scrape that off but other than that, I don't do anything.

[(mr.brisket)]

Rotate your racks and clean after each use, to preventbuild up.in the summer I do the old camping trick and leave my racks in the grass overnight the few helps to soften buildup, follow it up with a light brushing and you are good to go.

[David Parrish]

And the ant eat any crusted on food. yup yup

[jgg85234]

We don't have ants. I think the scorpions eat them.

[David Parrish]

Scorpions? Yikes!

[jgg85234]

When I moved to Arizona in the 70s, everywhere seemed to be infested with Black Widow spiders. The townhouse I bought in North Phoenix, the house we bought in Chandler, and everyone and everywhere seemed to be infested with them. It's the desert, right.

Wandered into this area that had been a working pecan grove, that was being converted to houses. Being from the Midwest (Chicago area), and my wife is from St. Louis area, we fell in love with the idea of big old trees, and grass lawns everywhere.

Once we built the house and moved in, it was amazing to realize that we hadn't seen a single Black Widow. 29 years later and we still haven't seen any. Scorpions definitely eat them. Should have gotten a property where we could have chickens. Chickens would eat all of the scorpions.

The price to be paid, for living in paradise was the scorpion population, which didn't really show up in the house until we had been there a few years.

Chinese consider them a delicacy. I was over there in 2000 on a consulting project. We went to Beijing and everyone had to show me the restaurant where they served scorpions. Stunned in a heated orange sauce, they were still alive when people were eating them. NO, I didn't eat there. Neither did anyone else in the party.

But, they are high in nutrients and protein. Here's how they sell them in the street markets in Beijing.

Jim