Choosing Your Grilling Style and the Reason Why Your Tío Cleans the Grill with an Onion

Mastering the art of a carne asada and getting to know your grill takes time, practice, and dedication. Overcooking a few pieces of meat, charring a few vegetables, or burning your hand is all part of the process. But before you decide on a grill, you need to learn the art of using an onion to clean the grill grate.

Cleaning your grill is one of the most important parts of a carne asada ritual. It’s easy to dismiss using an onion to clean the grill as something your drunk tío used to do because he was too lazy to actually clean the grill, but you would be surprised to find out that he was onto something: Onions contain a surprisingly high amount of an antimicrobial compound named allicin.