AboutWhitestag Expertise I can answer questions having to do with grilling or barbecuing meat (but not pork), poultry, fish, and vegetables over charcoal or wood. I also have some expertise in marinades and spice mixes. I cook only with charcoal and wood, so please do not ask me any questions about gas or electric grills.
Experience I've been cooking with fire and smoke for 25 years, using charcoal and wood almost exclusively. While I do not usually cook with gas, I'm willing to try to answer cooking questions in this area. I cook meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables, and I've experimented with a lot of different recipes and techniques. I am not able to answer questions about grilling or barbecuing pork. Most recently I've been using slow-cooking (indirect heat) techniques, and have been very successful at it.
Education/Credentials Not applicable to this area of expertise.
Question Is it safe to put the grates in a dishwasher? The crud is so thick that it won't burn off.
Answer You're talking the glazed cast iron grills, right? I wouldn't put them in a dishwasher. Try using one those heavy duty Scotch-Brite scrubbies that are designed for cleaning grills, or possibly a brass wire brush. I've found that trying to burn off the crud in the grill doesn't work very well.
Alternatively, if you have a self-cleaning oven, you might try putting the grills in the oven and running it through a cleaning cycle, which will probably be hot enough. But if you try this, be prepared for lots of nasty fumes, unless you have some kind of effective venting system.
