Achieving picture-perfect grilled steak, ribs, chicken, or fish is much easier said than done. A beautiful filet of salmon or steak that is lower in fat — a natural lubricant — can stubbornly stick to grill grates, which is beyond frustrating, but there’s a simple way to steer clear of this pitfall.

Spraying your grill grates with cooking spray or brushing them with oil when the grill is hot can lead to scary flame flare-ups, making it a bit risky. There's a better, safer alternative that doesn't include any kind of fat, but does use something you probably already have in your kitchen: a potato.

When applied to grill grates, the starches in potatoes keep lean meat or fish from sticking. The Little Potato Company suggests rubbing half of a skewered potato flesh-side-down onto the grates until you hear a sizzling sound; from there, you're good to grill.