WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Nothing tastes better than burgers and dogs cooked on your outdoor grill. Whether you burn charcoal or propane, the meat always seems to taste a little better. Besides, the lady of the house appreciates you messing up the grill instead of her messing up the kitchen stove and heating up the entire kitchen. I don’t mean to sound sexist, but the man of the house is usually the “King of the Grill”.
For you Grillmasters, here are several mistakes we might all make when commandeering the deck oven:
Gas maintained its position in 63% of homes since the last report in 2019, this is according to the 2022 report. Propane gas grills are a healthier option, because they create less smoke than charcoal grills. While charcoal itself isn’t carcinogenic, smoke is. Gas grills also carry a smaller carbon footprint, making them better for the environment than charcoal. Charcoal does add that certain taste to the meat.
Perhaps you don’t clean your grill properly. Since a grill is kept outside, you may feel you don’t need to keep it clean like you would the kitchen stove. However, foodborne germs can spread just as easy outdoors as indoors. It has been suggested that you should clean the grates and prep surfaces with hot, soapy water prior to cooking. We can’t forget to clean the cooking accessories as well. This would include the tongs and spatulas.
Don’t neglect the grill brush. A grill brush is great for removing charred residue from grates, but if you use a wire brush, be aware that the bristles might fall off after extended use and later get stuck in your food. A good suggestions would be to use a wet cloth or paper towel to wipe off any loose bristles that may have fallen off of the brush.
Keep the raw food away from the cooked foods. Cross contamination is bad, so don’t use the same utensils and plates that came into contact with raw meats to serve the meal. It’s best to wash your hands with soap and water before cooking and then again after handling raw meats.
The next big holiday for cooking out is Labor Day weekend. Be prepared and have fun.
To have fun and support the community, you’ll want to visit the Huss Project Farmer’s Market located at 1008 8th Street, in Three Rivers. Located in the Second District, the Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday through September, from 9 AM until 1 PM. Here you will find local producers offering vegetables, eggs, syrup, cheese, honey, baked goods and much more. The second Saturday of each month, you’ll find an art market, food trucks and live music. There’s also a nice Children’s Nature Play area. Once again, a nice way to spend a Saturday with the family. Of course, you can always stay home and work on those neglected chores that never seem to go away.
A little something to think about as you are trying to fall asleep. The British Crown owns pigeon droppings. This fact dates back to the 18th century. Back then, pigeon droppings were one of the ingredients used in the production of gunpowder. For this reason, the droppings was precious to the British Crown, which decreed that all pigeon excrement in the kingdom to be royal property. You can only find this kind of information in this column.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
