Before you bust out that apron and spatula, brush up on your knowledge: Grilling blunders can cause up to $27 million in property damage and thousands of hospital visits a year.

Take our true-false quiz to see if your skills are up to par.

1. To be safe, cook meat at high heat until well-done. True or False?

False: High temperatures and charred meat create cancer-related chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCA); research shows that very well-done steaks compared with medium well-have twice as many. To reduce cancer risk, cook meat over medium heat until a thermometer inserted in the center hits 160°F-hot enough to kill bacteria.

In addition to controlling the heat, the American Institute for Cancer Research also recommends adding sauce to cut your cancer risk. Turns out a generous coating of marinade or grilling sauce acts as a barrier, preventing flames from directly touching or charring the meat, while also reducing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Experts say there's no special ingredient required for your marinade any thick sauce will work.

2. Flipping burgers every minute makes them healthier. True or False?

True: Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California found turning burgers once a minute cuts the formation of HCA by up to 85%. Marinating meat in watery-not thick-sauces also protects against HCA.

3. For faster grilling and to cut food-poisoning risk, precook chicken an hour before putting it on the barbecue. True or False?

False: If precooking meat, only do so right before putting it on the grill. Leaving partially cooked meat to sit can breed bacteria, which subsequent grilling might not destroy.

4. When you've finished with the grill, it's safe to put it away once the charcoal turns gray. True or False?

False: Even though coals are ashy, they may still reignite and produce lethal carbon monoxide fumes. Leave your grill outside for at least 48 hours.