With this nice weather, many people take the barbecue out of the shed. Grilling sometimes goes wrong. For example, a man was seriously injured by a flashlight in Dongen on Tuesday. This is how you keep it safe.
Ralph has had a barbecue specialty shop for many years and inspires people with his grilling skills in videos on YouTube. He recognizes the image from the past of his father lighting the barbecue. “Spiritus over the coals. Then wait half a minute. Add Lucifer and literally ‘woof’,” he says. “That was super dangerous.”
Warning
The Dutch Burns Foundation warns never to light a barbecue with flammable liquids, such as spirits, gasoline or bio-ethanol. “When opening a bottle with flammable liquid, a cloud of gas is always released. This cloud remains suspended in the air and is highly flammable. When one spark is added, a flash fire is created,” the website states.
According to grill master Ralph, some people use those types of liquids out of impatience. They want the meat to be on the barbecue quickly. Yet he does see a change. “Barbecuing is a lot more popular. The egg-shaped ceramic barbecue has made people more patient to light it.”
Two accidents in a short time while barbecuing
For the second time in a short time, a barbecue has caused serious injuries. On Tuesday evening, a man was seriously injured in the face by a flashlight in Dongen.
At Pentecost, two children in Breda were seriously injured when their father sprayed spirits on the barbecue. They are still in hospital, it was announced on Monday.
Ralph knows better than anyone how to safely start a barbecue. That starts with making sure your grill is sturdy. Because if it falls over because, for example, your dog runs into it, then it becomes dangerous.
It is also good to think about the place. Is it dry and is there tall grass? “Then you have to take into account that sparks will blow from the barbecue. They should not end up in the dry grass.”
Use good quality firelighters, because according to Ralph they burn longer. “The longer they burn, the faster you can start. That also gives you peace of mind,” he explains. “I often use three, or I take fire starters. I place them between the charcoal.”
Not too much charcoal
A tip from Ralph is to place charcoal in a pyramid shape and not to use too much. “A lot of charcoal means too high a temperature and that causes burnt meat.”
How long it takes for the barbecue to light varies depending on the type of charcoal, but this will take about 10 to 25 minutes. “It’s important to let time do its work.”
You must also remain vigilant during baking and do not use water to extinguish flames. “When frying fatty meat, such as pork belly, the fat drips into the coals. Water and oil do not mix. If you are not careful and mess around with water, you will get a flash fire.”