Having a clean grill is one of the most important parts of grilling. Stuck on food can flare up and char your sirloin, not to mention you may possibly be eating little bits of last weeks steak attached to your grilled asparagus. But what if your grill brush is looking like a sight for sore eyes? Thankfully, there's one vegetable you probably have in your pantry that'll get the job done without having to run to the hardware store.
Grab your biggest onion, cut it in half and place it on your long grilling fork, cut side facing out. You can also use a long pair of tongs if you wish. Turn the dirty grill on high for a few minutes to warm up the grill grates. This will loosen up some of the baked on bits and pieces. Turn off the grill before you start cleaning.
Once warmed, spray the grates with either white vinegar or lemon juice (the extra acidity will help loosen the grim). Once the grill grates are sprayed, run the onion along the grates, using a little bit of elbow grease if needed.
From there, if you are planning to grill immediately, ball up a paper towel and grab it with some tongs. Dip the paper towel in vegetable oil and wipe down the grill grates. This will help prevent food from sticking to the hot grill. And if you are using a charcoal grill simply toss the onion into the charcoal.
Don't have an onion? No problem. Simply ball up some aluminum foil and hold it with a pair of tongs and scrub your grill.
Using these non-traditional grill cleaning solutions are a great way to recycle and make the cleaning process a little easier this grilling season.