Grilling quiz: Answers

1) Test your grill heat by holding your flat hand 5 inches — about the height of a soda can — over the grates. If you can hold it for 8 to 10 seconds, the grill temp is 250-350 degrees; 5 to 7 seconds: 350 to 450 degrees; 2 to 4 seconds: 450 to 550 degrees.

2) Grills — charcoal or gas — should be placed at least 10 feet from a building and preferably on the ground (not on your new deck, sorry). Also make sure the grill is away from shrubbery and the flow of traffic. Oh, and it’s not a bad idea to have a working hose nearby.

3) Save your Oberon and Radler; the best way to put out the flames is not by pouring beer on it, but putting the lid on and closing the top vent half way.

4) George Stephen, a father of 12 living in Mount Prospect, was a metal worker at Weber Brothers Metal Works in 1952 when he fashioned the first kettle grill.

5) You should never grill indoors, even in a garage, under a covered patio, in a tent or in a lightning storm.

6) Never use a fork for flipping meat on the grill; doing so releases grease that cannot only drip onto the hot coals and cause a flare up, but releases moisture from the meat.

7) Instant read thermometers are the preferred method of checking the doneness of meat and considered essential for grilling. Long-handled tongs and spatulas keep arms out of harm’s way and those barbecue mitts you wear should be insulated to withstand the intense heat of a grill. Witty aprons, while cute, are optional.

— Deborah Pankey

Source: Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, Weber.com