2. Thinking burnt on the outside means cooked on the inside. “Burgers, steaks, and chicken should be cooked to 160 degrees on the inside,” said Kosowsky, to avoid food poisoning. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, make sure the meat or poultry is fully cooked by cutting into it; the flesh shouldn’t be pink, and the juices should run clear, not red.
3. Spraying on Pam after the grill is already lit. I admit I’ve done this occasionally even as I watch the flames surge with every spray. It’s a real burn hazard, said Kosowsky. Those non-stick cooking sprays should be sprayed on before lighting. If you’re spraying on sunscreen or bug spray while outdoors, make sure you’re standing at least 10 feet away from the grill to avoid the blowtorch effect.
4. Moving grills into the garage when it rains. Doing any grilling indoors such as in a kitchen or closed garage can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Moving a grill to a lean-to or open covered area during a storm is fine, however, since they have proper ventilation.
5. Leaving a grill unattended. Fire departments respond to nearly 8,000 grill fires every year, often caused by using lighter fluid to light a gas grill -- a no-no -- or leaving a grill unattended for more than a few minutes. If those pieces of chicken catch fire, flames can leap up and spread to the side of a house or into the yard. To prevent accidents, never leave your charcoal grill unattended for more than a few minutes at a time. If the food on the grill catches fire, shut the lid if you can reach it without burning yourself, turn off the gas (if the grill isn’t charcoal), and allow the fire to burn out. You may also want to keep a bucket of sand nearby to smother the fire if necessary in severe cases.
