A Clean Grill Is Essential To Get An Immediate Sizzle
Americans love to grill — and with good reason. There's nothing quite like the smell of smoked meat (or mushrooms or other vegetarian options) to make you feel like it's summer (even if there are some meats you should keep far, far away from the grill). And while we may be in the early stages of fall, there's still some time left to get your grill on.
However, you might not be cleaning your grill as much as you should, and that's a shame because cleaning your grill is important. There are aesthetic reasons for doing so, of course (a clean grill obviously looks nicer), not to mention the sanitary ones. Those built-up deposits of grease and sugar from things like BBQ sauce can be breeding grounds for bacteria. But there's another reason beyond that. Cleaning your grill will produce better food that cooks more cleanly and efficiently and doesn't stick.
The sizzle indicates you're doing it right
You typically grill over high heat, so you're looking for that immediate sizzle that tells you the sear is on. That sizzle is a sign you're doing it right when it comes to burgers and steaks (even if it's a total lie when it comes to sizzling restaurant fajitas). Those grill marks look nice, but with many foods, they're also an indication you're cooking the meat the way you're supposed to.
The problem is that when you have dirty grates with bits of carbonized stuff stuck to them, your meat is going to stick and not cook evenly because these deposits prevent that sizzle where meat touches metal. This is especially an issue with burgers since those are made of ground meat. If your burgers cling to the grill when you try to remove them, you're going to wind up with burger hash, and nobody wants that.
Cleaning your grill may be a pain, but it's worth it
If you look online for methods of cleaning your grill grates, you're going to see a lot of different options (and if you're dealing with rusty grates, that's a whole different discussion). None of them are necessarily wrong. However, the best method makes use of the classic cleaning standbys vinegar and baking soda. First, you're going to want to turn the grill on to burn off as many of the stubborn bits as you can. From there, use a mixture of water and soap and a thick-bristled brush to knock off most of the rest.
Baking soda and vinegar are the key to getting the last little stubborn bits of grime off. Make a paste of the combination of the two, apply it to the grate, and let it set for half an hour. After it has been given time to work its magic, use the brush again, and whatever mess is left should come right off.
At the end of the process, you'll have a grill that doesn't just look better but also cooks way better. Since that's any chef's ultimate goal, the effort will have been well worth it.