Cleaning Grill Grates for More Flavorful and Safer Food

This post is sponsored by Grill Daddy. Save 10% with code: JF10

If it can be eaten, I’ve likely tossed it on the hot grates of my grill.  Grilling lean proteins like beef, chicken and fish along with a rainbow of fruits and veggies is the fuel for my active lifestyle. Plus, it gets me out of the hot kitchen and into the fresh air, sparking my creative side and serving up tasty benefits!   Talk about a win-win-win!

Grill Master, Jennifer Fisher of thefitfork.com

Despite all this happiness making and eating my grilled recipes, I’ve never felt like a winner when cleaning a grill afterward.  It’s nasty, messy, stinky and requires more elbow grease than I care to give when the backyard “party” is over. And, honestly, I never felt my grill-cleaning skills were up to par.  I’m embarrassed to say, I often just ignored cleaning my grill in the past.   

However, as they say, “when you know better, you do better.” Check out these reasons why you should make a quick clean of your grill grates after EVERY use and discover a tool from Grill Daddy that makes it safe, speedy and super effective! (Use discount code JF10 to save 10-percent)

Grill Daddy Pro Grill Brush - made in USA, #1 rated grill brush, safe, effective and eco-friendly.  Save 10% code JF10 at buygrilldaddy.com

Why Should I Clean My Grill Grates? 

Flavor Saver: Burned food crusted to the grates courtesy of the previous grilling sessions could end up on your current meal, lending an unwanted flavor profile. Nobody wants old fish flavor on their grilled corn cobs.  

Bacteria & Fungus Buster: Cleaning your grill also helps reduce the chance bacteria will colonize on the grates. Fungi like mold also grow on organic matter, and that’s pretty gross to be around food. Leftover meat of food bits stuck the grill and abandoned to fester are just open invitations to getting sick.

Pest Protection: Ensuring a clean grill, free of food and grease, will also keep unwanted pests from calling your grill their new home and dining establishment – the Roach & Rodent Motel. Trust me, word gets out in the pest population when you have accommodations “ripe” for the picking. Heck, I think a racoon could even lift up the handle and climb in to scavenge.   

Long-term Health: Not trying to use scare tactics here. But studies have indicated that cooking meats at a high temperature creates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are carcinogenic. PAHs are created when meat juice drips onto coals, grates and other hot surfaces causing flames and smoke – then they stick you’re your food and are left behind as burned bits on the grates. You can minimize your risks by cleaning your grill, avoiding flare-ups, not burning food, and using a gas grill rather than charcoal.  Also, marinade meats for 30 minutes prior to grilling helps create a barrier.  

Easier Deep Clean Later: When you clean your grill grates on a regular basis, it makes your end-of-season grill clean-up overhaul much easier. In terms of the grill grates, they can be removed and soaked in a vinegar-baking soda-water solution and then scrubbed down again — if you’ve been taking care of the grates from the start, the process will be so much easier because not much will be left to scrub down.

Grill Daddy grill brushes are safe, eco-friendly, and effective!

What is the Best Grill Brush?

I’ve used quite a few grill brushes and even the “onion’ method where a halved onion is rubbed across the hot grates to clean. I’ve never used a sponge, that’s just a nasty way to move bacteria around.  Most of my previous grill cleaning tactics yielded lackluster results. Stubborn areas on the grates still remained gross, bristles fell off with the potential of ending up in my food (so unsafe), or I just gave up early because my hands were to close to the heat and arms getting fatigued.

But, the Grill Daddy brushes are my new favorite grill tool.  This innovative grill brush cleans the grill with the power steam. It’s really a simple concept, but one that is so clever and unique it’s been patented. There are no chemicals or batteries needed for the grill brushes and the two brush heads feature “bristle lock” technology, stainless-steel bristles that are highly secured in place, to help ensure food safety for your family.  When the brushes show signs of wear, you can order new brush replacement parts.

Grill Daddy Pro Grill Brush - made in USA, #1 rated grill brush, safe, effective and eco-friendly.  Save 10% code JF10 at buygrilldaddy.com
Save 10% at BuyGrillDaddy.com with code JF10

How Do Grill Daddy Grill Brushes Work?

Simply pour water into the reservoir of your steam grill brush, heat up the grill and then use the ON/OFF lever to release the water a bit at a time. When that water hits the hot grates, it creates steam which helps loosen the food particles, grease and burned on gunk. While the steam is doing its job, use the wider side in a crosswise direction to eliminate grill residue or, for mor stubborn areas, flip the brush around and unleash to power of the three-row, crud-buster scraper.  Other nice features I appreciated in the Grill Daddy Pro model I have is the large size – 22-inches keeps my hands from getting too close to the searing heat. Also, the larger reservoir holds up to 16-ounces of water, making it last long enough without refilling to clean a large, nasty grill.

Grill Daddy brushes are also made in the USA and offer a satisfaction guarantee.  If you are fired up to try one (pun intended), then use my Grill Daddy discount code to save 10% — Go to BuyGrillDaddy.com Grill Daddy coupon code JF10 at checkout. — So perfect for upcoming backyard barbeques, Father’s Day gifts, gifts for women and men who grill, and gifts for grillers.

Steak & Waffles with Mango Mint Sauce

Waffles are the way to herald in a really epic weekend. Let’s just say that the details of dozens upon dozens of memory-making weekends are seared into my brain – the ones that started with waffles always ended up beyond wonderful. Steak and Waffles with Mango Mint Syrup

Now my recipe for Steak & Waffles with Mango Mint Sauce sounds incredibly crazy, but it’s amazingly delicious – trust me! Just imagine fluffy-slash-crunchy waffles topped with an unexpectedly exotic sweet-and-savory spin. Read on to get this creative waffle recipe that’s perfect for Mother’s Day brunch.    Continue reading

Throw Dad a Backyard Grill Out (with Steak) in 30 Minutes or Less!

Your King of the Grill deserves a break this Father’s Day, so why not throw dad a backyard bash (with steak) in 30 minutes or less?! It’s time for him to retire his tongs, and let you take over – even if only once a year. Don’t worry, I’ve got a fast, fail-proof plan to pull off a meaty, mouth-watering, memory-making celebration that will leave you plenty of time to kick back and relax on the patio with pops!How to Throw Dad a Backyard Bash (with Steak) in 30 Minutes or Less

Read on to get the game plan, the easy no-recipe recipes, and other tips. Continue reading

Spartan Races, Updates & Gifts for Dads

Whoever says summer break is stress-free, doesn’t know summer at my house. So far, since school let out two weeks ago, I’ve been on a whirlwind family vacation to New York City (12 of us), run the Spartan AT&T Stadium in Dallas (and earned a World Championship Coin) and made some hefty purchases like a new air-conditioner, new car for middle son and paid the tuition bill for oldest’s third year at a private college. jennifer fisher spartan

Money is flying out of our hands at a pace faster than the Nike Sub-2 Marathon attempt, which did fail by 1 second a mile but was still smokin’ fast.  With Father’s Day around the corner, I need a few thoughtful gifts that will appeal to the sporty dads in my life, but won’t bust the bank. Check out these Spartan-worthy ideas:

Continue reading

Creamy Jalapeno Beef Fajita Omelet for Father’s Day Breakfast

beef team superhero run

Me with my dad — he’s always there to support and cheer me on at a race!

Father’s Day is almost here and I’m plan to let my pops know he’s tops with a hearty, healthy breakfast. Although the gesture can’t compare with the endless years of love and support,  I’ve received from my father, it does speak to one of our favorite shared hobbies – eating Mexican food!

Father's Day Beef Omelet

I like to keep my recipes as heart-healthy as possible —  we have a family history issue going on. My recipe for Creamy Jalapeno Beef Fajita Omelet is pumped up with protein from lean beef, eggs and black beans and lower in fat – no cheese was needed thanks to a flavorful assortment of nourishing veggies. I know what you’re thinking though – beef for breakfast?! Actually, lean beef is a much healthier option than bacon, pork sausage and many other breakfast meats. For example, 2 ounces of beef skirt steak has about 124 calories and 6.5 grams of fat compared to 306 calories and 23.5 grams of fat for an equal portion of bacon!  I made this recipe on behalf of Litehouse Foods, and used their delicious Creamy Ranch Dressing – just a little dab will do you on this Father’s Day breakfast or brunch recipe.

Creamy Jalapeno Beef Fajita Omelet Recipe

  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup canned black beans that are rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 4 grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 red bell pepper seeded and cut into ¼” thick rings
  • 1/4 small sweet onion cut into ¼” thick slices and rings separated
  • ½ fresh jalapeno pepper cut into ¼” rings
  • 2 ounces precooked and seasoned beef fajita strips
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large egg whites (or ½ cup of egg whites from carton)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh red onion
  • 1/4 cup Litehouse Food Jalapeno Ranch dressing

1. Spray medium skillet with cooking spray and add black beans, corn, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, sweet onion, jalapeno pepper, and beef fajita strips. Sauté over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until ingredients are heated through and vegetables have soft-crisp texture. Remove from heat for use later.

2. Combine salt, egg whites and egg in medium bowl, breaking yolk and combining with a whisk.

3. Coat omelet-sized nonstick skillet with cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skilled let egg mixture set slightly.

4. Tilt pan and carefully lift edges of omelet with a spatula, permitting uncooked egg to flow underneath. Sprinkle cilantro and red onion on top.

5. Cook approximately 3 minutes; carefully flip omelet and cook for another minute. Spoon vegetable, beef and bean mixture onto one side of omelet, reserving a red pepper ring and jalapeno for garnish. Carefully loosen omelet with a spatula; fold in half over filling. Slide omelet onto a plate with reserved veggies.

If you’re feeding a crowd (or a really hungry father) my Healthy Beef & Egg ‘Barn Raiser’ Bake will fuel up dad for whatever adventures the morning brings.

healthy egg and beef casserole

 

By the way, if you are in Austin, come to one of my “Live Well, Grill Well” classes that will be held at Whole Foods on June 22 & June 28. I will be teaching everyone, including Alex, Booker & Sara from MIX 94.7, how to make their summer meals sizzle . . . not fizzle!

live well grill well

 

What do you plan to do with your dad on Father’s day? Does he have a favorite breakfast?