Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a small charcoal barbecue grill that has years of grease built up on the inside of the cover. Lately I have noticed that when I cook, tar-like specks fall on the meat. As this cannot be good for us to eat, I need to clean it. Is there a method that will clean built-up grease off of the inside of my barbecue grill cover? - James Philpot

We checked with a major manufacturer of barbecue grills who told us that those tar-like specks are caused by vapors from the cooking. With normal cooking the grease slowly oxidizes into carbon which will fleck off onto food. They suggest cleaning the lid interior first with a crumpled piece of aluminum foil or grill brush. Then, with the barbecue warm, not hot, wipe the lid interior with paper towels. You can also use a solution of warm water and mild soap. Doing this regularly will keep the carbon from forming. - Heloise