Cast Iron Grilling

Isn’t it a sight for sore eyes, a beautiful cast iron grill pan made by Staub or Le Creuset? But how do you use one? You use a grill pan for grilling meats, vegetables or fish at a high temperature. Cast iron evenly heats up and can withstand very high temperatures. The surface of a grill pan is comprised of straight ridges. It is important that the height of these ridges is just right. The moisture and fat that is released from the product you are grilling is caught in the space between the ridges. If the ridges are too low the product will come into contact with moisture and fat. It takes some getting used to but in the end you will end up with delicious meals.

What is grilling?

A big advantage of grilling is that it can be fat free. When you use a good grill pan you will hardly need to use any butter or oil. If you do, however, wish to use butter or oil our advice would be to rub it on the product you want to use on the grill. Another option is rubbing a bit of oil on the surface of the grill. Never pour drops of oil or butter in the pan as it will get caught in between the ridges of the pan where it won’t touch the product. Don’t worry when your piece of meat or fish sticks to the pan at first. As soon as a crust has formed the product will release itself from the bottom of the pan. The outspoken ridges in the grill pans ensure that you will have a perfect grill pattern. Turn the product to get a pattern that doesn’t only look amazing, but also tastes great

The advantages of cast iron

Grill pans are made from solid cast iron. Cast iron is iron enriched with carbon. This material is special because it evenly and gradually distributes the heat and retains it perfectly. As such little heat is lost and the pan will be warm throughout. You will not have to worry about hot spots and your product is grilled evenly throughout the entire surface of the pan. A cast iron grill pan with a large surface can therefore easily be used on small hobs.

Using a grill pan

The cast iron grill pans can be used on any heat source, they can even be placed in the oven. Even changing the heart source is not a problem. Ideal when you want to keep your dish warm in the oven (if it fits at least). Do, however, pay attention to quick changes in temperature. Always enable the pan to slowly warm up and cool off. If you don’t the pan might crack. We recommend you always wash the pan by hand with hot water, a sponge and a mild detergent.

Different grill pans

Grill pans come in different shapes, colours, and sizes. There are even pans with different handles and grips that enable you to take hold of the pan with two hands. Do keep in mind that the handles can get really hot. Another advantage is the compactness of the pan which makes it possible for you to pop it in the oven. There are also pans that have been enhanced with a pouring rim. The great benefit of this rim is that you can easily get rid of the excess moisture and grease without spilling. Finally, grill pans are heavy which means you cannot accidentally knock them off your stove.