Recently there’s been a couple of stories in the news about people going to the emergency room with stomach pains that were a result of accidentally consuming a grill brush bristle, that perforated the GI tract. Who knew? The CDC reports that the tool’s bristles can stick to the grill, then transfer to food and be ingested, leading to perforations of the GI tract. To avoid this, first of all, check your grill brush for loose bristles and eyeball the grill grates. Of course these bristles are so teeny tiny, chances are you won’t see them. An easy fix; after using a grill brush, wipe the grill grates with the cut side of half an onion. In addition to sweeping away any stuck-on brush bits, the onion will coat the grates with sulfuric acid, which helps stop bacteria from growing on your grill. And it helps season the food!
We’ve decided to play it safe and replace our grill brush every summer, just to be cautious. Plus, they do gunk up after a lot of use. When purchasing a grill brush, look for ones made with brass or food grade stainless steel bristles. The head of the brush should be hard, food grade plastic or metal to hold the bristles in tightly in place. And avoid any grill brush that warns against use on a hot grilling surface. The bristles themselves should be of thick wire that springs back into place, firmly set in the head and evenly cut. A good brush for less than $10 is the Weber 21″ Three Sided Brush, which you can pick up at Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, from the Weber website and other stores.
Here’s the CDC report on the dangers of grill brush bristles.
And now that you know how to clean your grill safely, here’s some of our favorite but inexpensive steaks to grill.
A Confession From Trig (Our Web Guy)
A few years ago, I was grilling some burgers at my mother-in-law’s house, when suddenly my wife’s friend, Heather, began to fervently warn me of the various inherent dangers of grill brushes. She even told a story about a man who ingested a steel bristle, which then became lodge in his esophagus and began to burrow its way to his heart. It was only when he began to exhibit mysterious chest-pain symptoms that they even found out about it… or maybe he died, I can’t remember, because I instantly called “hyperbole” on the whole concept.
Later on, after flipping the burgers, as I was about to apply the cheese, she lunged past me and exclaimed, “TRIG! MY GOD! LOOK!”
In her trembling fingertips I could make out the greasy form of a solitary steel bristle.
“I… just… saved… your… life…”, she stammered, amazed.
“You… just… put… that… there… you… psycho…”, I accused, unimpressed by her apparent powers of observation and quick-thinking.
Since then, I have told this story numerous times as an example of the absurd lengths people are willing to go to vindicate their paranoid convictions, always recounted with heavy mockery and sneering.
Today, I must admit, I was wrong.
Heather: You… saved… my… life.
You can be my grilled food inspector, anytime.
Loved that story and the humor! Thanks for the food safety tip, Tammy and Trig – as well as the lesson on how to eat “Humble Pie”. 🙄 Ha!!
Colleen…yes, “Humble Pie”…ha! Glad you enjoyed it.