Grilling outside - on public grills

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djshari
djshari Posts: 513 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I love eating grilled food - particularly chicken kabobs - but I live in an apartment building and I don't have my own grill. My apartment complex DOES have some of those outside grills behind the garages in an open area. They look like the basic square ones you see at parks. I've never actually grilled myself so this is part of the problem - also the people I know who do have gas grills.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to clean these? They sit outside all year so can I just spray them down with soap and water? Should I use foil on the grill part so my food doesn't touch the actual grill in case it's gross? Or will the fire burn any germs off?
Should I buy a specific kind of coal?

Any other suggestions?
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Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    I usually use foil or I have my own grate that I put on top. We grill at the park sometimes. I also have a wire brush and do a quick brush of their grill before I start.
  • hoosierxheart
    hoosierxheart Posts: 14 Member
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    I would use foil.........
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    I usually use foil or I have my own grate that I put on top. We grill at the park sometimes. I also have a wire brush and do a quick brush of their grill before I start.

    This. When we grill at the park or beach, we clean the grill surface with a wire brush first then use our own grate (if we have access to a way to clean the grate after so it's clean-ish on the way home) or foil on top of the grill's own grate.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
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    *edit* I personally would just clean it well with a brush and some soap and water, but I'm also not overly concerned with them when I use them at the park. As they heat up, whatever is left on them burns off anyway so I never bother with more than a wire brush and a thorough wipe down.

    You could also invest in a small charcoal or propane BBQ. I bought one last summer and used it all the time. A small disposable propane tank lasted me the whole summer of cooking hot dogs, steaks and chicken brochette at least twice a week. I just set it on the pavement and sit back in my chair and relax!
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,118 Member
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    you can brush them first but I never put my food directly on them I either will use foil or I buy the disposable aluminum pans they come in all different sizes and easy clean up afterwards. I buy the charcoal that has the lighter fluid already on it if I can find it otherwise I get whats on sale and buy the lighter fluid. Most dollar stores sell charcoal cheap and lighter fluid for a $1.

    We like to hike in the spring and summer and we will grill out afterwards in the parks on these grills they work great but a lot of people have used them before you as well as animals that is why I like the aluminum pans.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Wire brushes for grills are inexpensive. You light the fire on your grill and then wait until you are getting ready to put the food on and scrape the brush across the aluminum wires or bars on the grill, try to make sure to do it in one direction as going back and forth can leave ash on the grill and in your food.

    The grill should be so hot that it kills anything you may be scared of left behind.

    There are also foil grilling sheets they make exactly for this purpose as well.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
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    Fire kills pretty much everything. It's one of the most important things I took away from Microbiology lab. Since you can't be sure that every single area will heat to the point that the "bugs" you can't see are killed (not to mention the bugs that you would be able to see but they're hiding) the aluminum foil really is a good idea. Get the heavy duty stuff made for grills, I've had the regular foil disintegrate under really high grill heat but that's never happened with the heavy foil.
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,051 Member
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    NEVER use foil! Might as well cook in the kitchen

    When I use a public grill the thing that I do is I build a really big charcoal fire. Get it super hot, lowering the grill right against the lit coals... Scrub it like hell with a wire brush when it is really hot. If it is a cast iron grate I will then wipe it down with some sort of cooking oil on a paper towel... let that smoke up and scrub it again. I know some people who will sponge it with beer, but that is more for steel grates then iron.

    Raise the grate up to the cooking height now and your good to go.
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,363 Member
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    You can get a really good fire going with a good pile of charcoal and then use the wire brush to clean once it is hot. After the flames die down and you have nice hot coals with just a small flame, you can take some oil on a paper towel that you hold with tongs and lightly grease the rack. It will help keep your foods from sticking.

    If you prefer to use foil, poke some holes in it. That way, the grease will drain away and you will get some of that smoky flavor. If you have any friends in your complex you might plan to grill together. It is silly to heat up a grill just for one person. Years ago in my neighborhood, we didn't have a gas grill and if I were going to light up my charcoal grill for dinner, I'd let a couple of neighbors know so they could use it, too. The coals stay hot for so long.

    Happy grilling.
  • openskybeach
    openskybeach Posts: 294 Member
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    NEVER use foil! Might as well cook in the kitchen

    When I use a public grill the thing that I do is I build a really big charcoal fire. Get it super hot, lowering the grill right against the lit coals... Scrub it like hell with a wire brush when it is really hot. If it is a cast iron grate I will then wipe it down with some sort of cooking oil on a paper towel... let that smoke up and scrub it again. I know some people who will sponge it with beer, but that is more for steel grates then iron.

    Raise the grate up to the cooking height now and your good to go.

    ^^>>This. "NEVER use foil! Might as well cook in the kitchen"
  • somefitsomefat
    somefitsomefat Posts: 445 Member
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    Reading some of the responses here it's clear most people don't seem to be aware of how eat and germs work. Seriously, scrape the grill with one of those metal brushes, fire it up for a few minutes in advance, and move on. Don't go through some elabroate process. Heat kills germs. That's why you're cooking your food in the first place.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Get your coals started and, once they're ready to use, scrape down the grill with some cheap wire brush that you pick up from Target or Home Depot or somewhere like that. Probably $3-5 and you can probably buy some stupid package for another couple dollars that'll get you a flipper and tongs and stuff like that. After scraping, I give it another five minutes to feel like it's sanitized. But coals get raging hot, so I wouldn't really worry about germs. But I make sure to take plenty of whiskey or tequila shots, to help sterilize any bacteria that might have found its way into my stomach...
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
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    You can pick up a wire brush for a few bucks, but really once you heat the Grill up to 3 or 400 degrees does it really matter?? by then everything has burned off.
  • sstolii123
    sstolii123 Posts: 205 Member
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    NEVER use foil! Might as well cook in the kitchen

    When I use a public grill the thing that I do is I build a really big charcoal fire. Get it super hot, lowering the grill right against the lit coals... Scrub it like hell with a wire brush when it is really hot. If it is a cast iron grate I will then wipe it down with some sort of cooking oil on a paper towel... let that smoke up and scrub it again. I know some people who will sponge it with beer, but that is more for steel grates then iron.

    Raise the grate up to the cooking height now and your good to go.

    +1 for me! don't use foil! High heat kills any germs you might be afraid of, Heat the **** out of the grate then give it a good brushing with a wire brush and wipe down with oil. any way else and you will anger the grilling Gods!
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
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    As others have said, a wire brush is all you need. Foil completely defeats the purpose of grilling, because you don't get the delicious caramelization on the outside ("grill marks"), and it probably interferes with the grill flavor as well.

    I'd suggest spending $10 or $15 and getting a charcoal chimney. You can light charcoal using newspaper rather than nasty lighter fluid. It takes a little while to get the coals going, but it's worth the extra effort.
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
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    Get the coals to flame up good and use a wire brush - the heat/flame will kill anything on there.

    However, if you are that worried about it - put foil on the grates and poke holes in the foil to let the flame/heat come through a little better.

    Enjoy
  • djshari
    djshari Posts: 513 Member
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    Awesome, thanks everyone! I will be getting a wire brush and I'm thinking of using foil just the first time or two, I've never seen anyone back there using it so that might make it a little easier if it's just me. Wish I had some kabobs right now!
  • Wifey7891
    Wifey7891 Posts: 91
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    wire brush to clean excess black residue off before cooking your food. when the coats are still flaming. i don't think its gross to cook right on the grill. if it bothers you that much tin foil will do the trick, but your food wont get as good of a flavor as its not exposed right to the smoke and heat, which is in my opinion the whole point of grilling.
  • luadams2
    luadams2 Posts: 122
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    How about trying a grill pan and grilling on your stove instead? Get yourself a nice square nonstick grill pan and try that. I use mine for grilled veggies, hamburgers, salmon and chicken breast. Mine has a heatproof handle in case I have to finish off what I'm cooking in the oven. Sometimes I'll just char the meat to put a nice color and grill marks on it, then pop it in the oven to finish cooking.

    You might also try a cheapo electric griddle with a grill pan on the opposite side. Plug it in, heat it up, brush it with some oil and you're all set. I have a big heavy expensive one my husband bought me but honestly I miss the old cheapie I bought at Target for about $15 that I used for years.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
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    As others have said, a wire brush is all you need. Foil completely defeats the purpose of grilling, because you don't get the delicious caramelization on the outside ("grill marks"), and it probably interferes with the grill flavor as well.

    I'd suggest spending $10 or $15 and getting a charcoal chimney. You can light charcoal using newspaper rather than nasty lighter fluid. It takes a little while to get the coals going, but it's worth the extra effort.

    + 1 goddamn million! my wife got me one and it changed my life!

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