How to Preheat, Clean, and Season Your Grill

Before grilling, always follow these steps for flame-broiled success:

1. Preheat You wouldn’t bake in a cold oven, and you can’t sear on a cold grill. Preheating is vital. Turn it to high (even if the recipe calls for a lower setting), close the lid, and let the grill warm up at least 15 minutes. Adjust the heat before grilling the food.

2. Clean For good results, starting with a clean grill is essential. Clean grates prevent “off” flavors, sooty looks, and help keep food from sticking. The easiest way to get rid of charred-on debris is to scrape preheated grates with a stiff wire brush. Finish cleaning with a lightly oiled paper towel — this will pick up grit and dust the brush leaves behind.

3. Season Oiling the grate is beneficial for another reason — it helps keep food from sticking. Swab an oil-dipped paper towel on the grill just before putting the food on. Use enough oil to coat the grates, but not so much that it drips onto the flames and causes flare-ups. Like your favorite cast-iron pan, the grates will blacken, or “season,” over time.