how to cook on a griddle...

Panthers65 · May 26, 2015

Hey guys, I'm a long time open flame grille and smoker, but have never had the chance to good on a gas griddle. I was given (the best kind of cookers, free) Blackstone 36" LP griddle recently and after a new hose and regulator i got it putting good heat off. Problem is, I've never cooked on a flat top before.

What do i need to know? Cook on it like a cast iron skillet (preheat, oil/bacon grease/ butter, and then oil it again when I'm done) or cook on it straight like an open flame? Will it heat and cook oddly shaped thing like an open flame grill like chicken or tenderloin?

Also, when I got it, the top had some rust. I took a wire wheel to it and removed the rust, but it left the pitted steel. Can I/should i take a flap wheel to this to smothen it out? Do I need to season the top after?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Blackstone-36-in-Propane-Gas-Griddle-Cooking-Station-1554/204738097

1MoreFord · May 26, 2015

Yes, you need to season it. Smoothing out the pit would be a good idea too. It cooks like a big cast iron griddle.

You may want to mod the grease drain. That's the biggest gripe I've seen.

1buckie · May 26, 2015

It's possible to cook chicken, tenderloin, etc., but small pieces (think fajitas) are much better suited to the flat surface.....just use your other cookers for those whole pieces....
(this coming from a guy who cooks ribeyes in a Wok !!!)

code3rrt · May 26, 2015

I'm not familiar with the particular product, but I worked in restaurants for years. We always used "grill bricks" to clean our grills, wire wheel not a good idea IMO. I'm sure others that have these can give you better info.

KC

Copied this right out of their manual, you can get the whole manual at Homedepot.com.

Cleaning Griddle
FIRST TIME:
Blackstone Griddles are pre-seasoned with cooking oil to prevent rust and damage during shipping. For first
time use, wash the griddle in hot, soapy water. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME YOU SHOULD USE SOAP ON THE
GRIDDLE. Rinse and dry completely with paper towels. Proceed with seasoning instructions.
AFTER EACH USE:
To clean the griddle after each use, scrape gently with a spatula and wipe down the griddle surface with a
paper towel. For tough food residue, pour hot water onto the griddle surface and let it boil the residue off.
Wipe again with a paper towel and dry completely. ¼ cup of table salt can also be used to buff off stuck on
food. Proceed with Seasoning Instructions.

SEASONING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Remove all food debris with spatula or scraper.
2. Apply a generous, even coating of cooking oil (olive, vegetable, peanut, etc.) to the griddle surface.
3. Use a paper towel to spread the oil evenly across the cooking surface of the griddle.
4. Allow griddle to cool down and store in a cool, dry place.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What if my griddle starts to rust?
A. If rust appears on the griddle surface, rub it off with steel wool or low grain sandpaper and re-season
the surface. Take care to always completely dry your griddle before storing and keep away from rain
and sprinklers.
*CUSTOMERS IN HUMID OR COASTAL CLIMATES MAY REQUIRE MORE FREQUENT SEASONINGS AND THE USE
OF HEAVIER COOKING OILS TO AVOID RUSTING AND CORROSION.*

ssv3 · May 26, 2015

I have one and love it. You definitely can cook steaks and such on it. It cooks like a big cast iron skillet like 1MoreFord said. You can crank the heat up really high for searing or you can have 2+ heat zones since it's 4 burner. It's get real hot so I rarely go more than the low setting on the turn knob.

Just season it and it's good to go. Use oils that have a high smoking point like sunflower, safflower, peanut, etc if you can but you don't have to. Clean up is a breeze on it and takes no more than 5 mins. After clean up, wipe the griddle top with oil as it's cooling and when cooled thoroughly thrown the cover on it. That simple.

The grease drain hasn't been a problem for me personally. Good Luck!!

It's plenty big to handle big tasks also. Here as some cooks

Even cooked flour tortillas from scratch on it

Burgers

bradymartin · May 26, 2015

i have a camp chef expedition with big flat top griddle and its awesome. if i were you id look at those. they have an awesome deal on one at costco for 169. its a 3 burner and can do EVERYTHING with right accessories, check it out.

code3rrt · May 26, 2015

Not to hijack, but ssv3, that is some fine grill work you have going there, nearly makes me wanna go out and buy one:loco:.

KC

ssv3 said:
I have one and love it. You definitely can cook steaks and such on it. It cooks like a big cast iron skillet like 1MoreFord said. You can crank the heat up really high for searing or you can have 2+ heat zones since it's 4 burner. It's get real hot so I rarely go more than the low setting on the turn knob.

Just season it and it's good to go. Use oils that have a high smoking point like sunflower, safflower, peanut, etc if you can but you don't have to. Clean up is a breeze on it and takes no more than 5 mins. After clean up, wipe the griddle top with oil as it's cooling and when cooled thoroughly thrown the cover on it. That simple.

The grease drain hasn't been a problem for me personally. Good Luck!!

It's plenty big to handle big tasks also. Here as some cooks

Even cooked flour tortillas from scratch on it

Burgers

unixadm · May 26, 2015

I have the Blackstone 36" griddle and it's excellent. Some of my tips:

1. Get squirt bottles for different types of oil and water.
2. Camp Chef has a good spatula set (black handles).
3. Get a griddle scraper - it's like a putty knife but very stiff/sharp.
4. A cooking dome is nice when you want to melt cheese on a burger. If I'm avoiding cleaning more dishes, a formed piece of foil will get the job done.

Some things that I do:

1. Start the griddle towards the low end and go from there. I normally keep one end burner very low or off, so I can keep food warm without burning/over cooking.
2. When the griddle is up to temp, I spray a little water on it and wipe it down with a paper towel.
3. I then apply a little oil and wipe it down prior to cooking.
4. Get to cooking. If it's seasoned well, things won't stick unless it's got sugar in it from my experience. Use water to lift those deposits with light scraping.
5. Once I'm done cooking, I normally let the griddle cool for 5-10 minutes and hit it with a little water, let the water heat up which helps lift deposits. If the deposits are heavy then I hit it with water right away since the boiling water will clean very well.
6. Wipe down the griddle to remove any water.
7. Apply oil and wipe down the griddle. I then wipe the outside edges and the bottom of the grease trap. This helps prevent exterior surface rust.

The only thing I didn't like about my Blackstone with the grease tray grip hole. I found that wind or getting a bit aggressive with pushing the grease down the gutter would have it miss the drip tray. I fixed that by welding on a little piece of square tubing.

ssv3 · May 26, 2015

code3rrt said:
Not to hijack, but ssv3, that is some fine grill work you have going there, nearly makes me wanna go out and buy one:loco:.

KC

Thank you!!

You won't regret it. :heh:

One of the gals at work had me order one for her even though her husband wasn't on board. She said that she'll deal with it when her order was delivered. Usually the other way around. She can't stop telling others she loves it so much.:laugh:

SuburbSlicker · May 27, 2015

I have to admit I was a little skeptical when a buddy told me he bought one instead of a traditional Weber gasser. But then he told me last night about making breakfast on his. So I may be a convert. Can't make an egg on a Weber without messing up a pan....

Dr. Trout Bum · May 27, 2015

I wish I had one. I swear by a griddle for making the best burgers. A good sear on some quality ground beef, thrown the buns on, throw a bowl over it to melt the cheese...load up with green chile, and you're in heaven!

Extremely versatile cooking platform.

Panthers65 · May 27, 2015

1MoreFord said:
Yes, you need to season it. Smoothing out the pit would be a good idea too. It cooks like a big cast iron griddle.

You may want to mod the grease drain. That's the biggest gripe I've seen.

Thanks, I'll look into the grease drain. I'll hit the surface with a flap wheel too. I would assume it doesn't have to be perfect, but the little pits from the rust I can see causing some serious sticking issues.

1buckie said:
It's possible to cook chicken, tenderloin, etc., but small pieces (think fajitas) are much better suited to the flat surface.....just use your other cookers for those whole pieces....
(this coming from a guy who cooks ribeyes in a Wok !!!)

Thanks for the info. I watched a few youtube videos yesterday about hibachi cooking and it looks like most the chicken they do had been pounded uniform(not thin, just uniform), I think that's the key here, 1" uniform pieces.

code3rrt said:
I'm not familiar with the particular product, but I worked in restaurants for years. We always used "grill bricks" to clean our grills, wire wheel not a good idea IMO. I'm sure others that have these can give you better info.

KC

Copied this right out of their manual, you can get the whole manual at Homedepot.com.

Cleaning Griddle
FIRST TIME:
Blackstone Griddles are pre-seasoned with cooking oil to prevent rust and damage during shipping. For first
time use, wash the griddle in hot, soapy water. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME YOU SHOULD USE SOAP ON THE
GRIDDLE. Rinse and dry completely with paper towels. Proceed with seasoning instructions.
AFTER EACH USE:
To clean the griddle after each use, scrape gently with a spatula and wipe down the griddle surface with a
paper towel. For tough food residue, pour hot water onto the griddle surface and let it boil the residue off.
Wipe again with a paper towel and dry completely. ¼ cup of table salt can also be used to buff off stuck on
food. Proceed with Seasoning Instructions.

SEASONING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Remove all food debris with spatula or scraper.
2. Apply a generous, even coating of cooking oil (olive, vegetable, peanut, etc.) to the griddle surface.
3. Use a paper towel to spread the oil evenly across the cooking surface of the griddle.
4. Allow griddle to cool down and store in a cool, dry place.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What if my griddle starts to rust?
A. If rust appears on the griddle surface, rub it off with steel wool or low grain sandpaper and re-season
the surface. Take care to always completely dry your griddle before storing and keep away from rain
and sprinklers.
*CUSTOMERS IN HUMID OR COASTAL CLIMATES MAY REQUIRE MORE FREQUENT SEASONINGS AND THE USE
OF HEAVIER COOKING OILS TO AVOID RUSTING AND CORROSION.*

I'm going to look into the grill bricks, most the videos I watched they cooks were using scrapers.

The wire wheel wasn't a long term/every day cleaning method, it was just to knock the rust off the surface. Once I flatten it out I'll clean via scraper or brick.

ssv3 said:
I have one and love it. You definitely can cook steaks and such on it. It cooks like a big cast iron skillet like 1MoreFord said. You can crank the heat up really high for searing or you can have 2+ heat zones since it's 4 burner. It's get real hot so I rarely go more than the low setting on the turn knob.

Just season it and it's good to go. Use oils that have a high smoking point like sunflower, safflower, peanut, etc if you can but you don't have to. Clean up is a breeze on it and takes no more than 5 mins. After clean up, wipe the griddle top with oil as it's cooling and when cooled thoroughly thrown the cover on it. That simple.

The grease drain hasn't been a problem for me personally. Good Luck!!

Umm yet I'd eat all of that. The fried rice/hibachi is definitely something I'm interested in. My wife and I did a couple steaks about a week ago in a little "head to head" battle. I did mine on the Egg and she did her's in the cast iron inside with a big glob of butter. We both agreed that the Egg steak was better.

Do you have a recipe for that beef stir fry/Mongolian beef? Wife and I love Chinese food, but I never can get the sauces right.

bradymartin said:
i have a camp chef expedition with big flat top griddle and its awesome. if i were you id look at those. they have an awesome deal on one at costco for 169. its a 3 burner and can do EVERYTHING with right accessories, check it out.

Thanks, but this one was free once I clean it up. :becky:

unixadm said:
I have the Blackstone 36" griddle and it's excellent. Some of my tips:

1. Get squirt bottles for different types of oil and water.
2. Camp Chef has a good spatula set (black handles).
3. Get a griddle scraper - it's like a putty knife but very stiff/sharp.
4. A cooking dome is nice when you want to melt cheese on a burger. If I'm avoiding cleaning more dishes, a formed piece of foil will get the job done.

Some things that I do:

1. Start the griddle towards the low end and go from there. I normally keep one end burner very low or off, so I can keep food warm without burning/over cooking.
2. When the griddle is up to temp, I spray a little water on it and wipe it down with a paper towel.
3. I then apply a little oil and wipe it down prior to cooking.
4. Get to cooking. If it's seasoned well, things won't stick unless it's got sugar in it from my experience. Use water to lift those deposits with light scraping.
5. Once I'm done cooking, I normally let the griddle cool for 5-10 minutes and hit it with a little water, let the water heat up which helps lift deposits. If the deposits are heavy then I hit it with water right away since the boiling water will clean very well.
6. Wipe down the griddle to remove any water.
7. Apply oil and wipe down the griddle. I then wipe the outside edges and the bottom of the grease trap. This helps prevent exterior surface rust.

The only thing I didn't like about my Blackstone with the grease tray grip hole. I found that wind or getting a bit aggressive with pushing the grease down the gutter would have it miss the drip tray. I fixed that by welding on a little piece of square tubing.

great tips and a good mod on the grease trap. I'll have to see what the deal is the first few times I cook, but I've got plenty of welding/metal fab equipment in the shop to fix it up how I want. What other types of oils do you use? Mostly I saw people with a oil bottle, a water bottle, and their seasonings/spices like soy. Do you use multiple kinds of Oil? What is the point?

how to cook on a griddle...

Panthers65

is one Smokin' Farker

1MoreFord

Babbling Farker

1buckie

Babbling Farker

code3rrt

Babbling Farker

ssv3

somebody shut me the fark up.

bradymartin

Guest

code3rrt

Babbling Farker

unixadm

Take a breath!

ssv3

somebody shut me the fark up.

SuburbSlicker

Full Fledged Farker

Dr. Trout Bum

is one Smokin' Farker

Panthers65

is one Smokin' Farker

Similar threads