Barbecue Time

BBQ   Cleaning Tips and Maintenance

With summer here its time to dig out that barbeque again and enjoy outdoor food with family and friends

So why is a BBQ Party so much part of todays summer. Perhaps the Australins have a lot to answer for. Traditional Aboriginal cooking always involved outdoor cooking over a fire or hot coals. They would also use the earth to create earth ovens. Settlers fro Europe brought with them traditional style ovens but the extreme heat of the Australian landscape enticed them to search for alternative cooking methods outside. This combined with lessons from the local Aboriginals would have led to the humble barbecue being born. Australian Actor Paul Hogan is accredited with popularising “Bush Tucker” or the Australian BBQ with the now famous catch phrase “I’ll put a shrimp on the barbie”. Here in Ireland we are not blessed with the long hot sunny days of the Australian outback, but then we don’t have all that dessert either. That means our barbeques need a bit more care. First things first, is that BBQ clean since you put it away last year. Barbeque partys are fun but it is essential to ensure that your cooking surfaces are sanitised and clean to safeguard family and friends from any hidden bugs.Before the outdoor cooking season starts you need to do the following:

1. Take the barbecue apart but first disconnect the gas bottle. Remove the lid, plates, grills, the tray of rocks and drip tray; pull the control knobs off; then unclip and lift out the burners. It’s a good idea to place a drip mat under the barbeque while doing this job to prevent grease from fouling your patio or deck.
2. Now scrub and clean the layers of burnt food and grease, initialyy with a wire brushand then with a commercial barbecue cleaner or do it easily with vinegar, bicarb and sugar. Sprinkle sugar on a hot hotplate and pour on some vinegar. While the plate ot grill is still hot allow the vinegar to evaporate. Next add some oil on the warm hotplate and wipe off the mess with a kitchen paper towel. Wipe the clean hotplate and grill with a little cooking oil , this helps to stop them rusting.
3. Ensure that the gas valve controls don’t become stiff, the knobs could break off. Spray valves with WD-40 then turn them on and off to soften old lubricant. Re-oil with light machine oil and coat the valves with Vaseline to keep the lubricant in and water out.
4. Clean stainless the stainless steel surfaces with a paste of bicarb and vinegar or a stainless cleaner, rubbing gently with a damp sponge. Rinse with water and wipe dry.
5. Check the burners for corrosion and replace if there are any holes or openings other than what should be there. Otherwise clean off any loose debris and reassemble, making sure that seals are tight
6. Reassemble the barbecue. Discard any oily sand in the drip tray, wipe clean and re-line with aluminium foil. A little cooking oil under the foil will help keep it in place. Fill with new litter or sand. Replace the volcanic rocks as necessary or even add new ones.
7. The first time you use your cleaned barbecue, turn all burners to high for 5-10 minutes, letting the rocks and cast iron get very hot to burn off any residue of cleaning products. Then turn it to low and wipe hotplate and grills with oil before cooking.
8. Now your deck or patio needs a good scrubb wash or powerhose to give you and your friends that fresh clean area to host your bbq party.

Now you can start cooking, and don’t forget that beer.

BBQ   Routine Cleaning Tips  

In order to keep your BBQ in good shape you really need to do the following every time it is used.

You will need:

Brass wire grill brush
Sponge or dishcloth
Spray cooking oil
Sponge or dishcloth
Aluminum foil
Stainless steel cleaner
 

1       Keep the grill oiled with a fine film of oil before you start cooking. Not only does this makes it easy to clean afterwards but prevents your food from sticking to the gril in the first place.

2       Clean the grill immediately after cooking with a wire brush while it is still warm, not hot. (take care not to do this when still too hot)

3       Don’t forget a drip mat under your Barbie to collect any grease or fat that may fall on your patio.

4       When it has cooled off, cover the bbq to protect it from our changeable weather.

5       If you have a charcoal bbq then dispose of the ash safely making sure there are no hot spots left.

6       Keep the Barbie sparkling, clean the stainless steel cover and handles once it has cooled off with a soft cloth and SS cleaner. Rub in one direction with the grain of your stainless steel to prevent scratching.


I suggest that you talk to our nearest office and ask Pristine Home to take care of that BBQ Clean. Using
the experts will ensure that your outdoor party gets off to a great start  to help you enjoy the longer days.Please see our website www.pristine.ie and contact Diana at Pristine.ie on 1890252309 or info@pristine.ie