Pantry Raid: How to use a Grill Pan

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There are some great things to love about living in a city: access to cultural institutions like museums, art galleries and dance performances; a different restaurant to try out every night of the week; loads of transportation options. But one thing that people living in urban areas often miss out on is having the ability to partake in some serious outdoor grilling. And thus, the grill pan was born.

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The grill pan is a square or rectangular flat pan with a handle (sort of like a square version of a skillet) that generally comes in two sizes: one that’s square that fits over one burner and one that’s a longer rectangular version that’s designed to fit over two burners (for more grilling power). Grill pans are called grill pans because they all have the characteristic ridges in the bottom of the pan – sort of mimicking the way a grill looks and giving the fat and juices a place to drip when you’re grilling meat.

Now, before we talk about how to use a grill pan, let’s talk about some of the pitfalls of using a grill pan instead of grilling in the great outdoors. Obviously, one of the biggest downfalls of using a grill pan instead of grilling on an actual grill is the smokiness and awesome flavor that comes with grilling outdoors. Because you’re using charcoal and there are flames whipping up to add delicious crispy char marks, there’s a very distinct flavor that comes with that. However, you can’t beat a grill pan when you don’t have the option of using an outside grill.

How to Use a Grill Pan

Start by brushing the grill lightly with olive oil to start. Using a grill pan is similar to using a regular grill, so there’s not a hugely different process for grilling indoors on one of these, rather than grilling outside on a grill. Sit the grill pan on top of your stove’s burners and heat over high heat.

Once the grill pan is hot enough, add your food to the grill pan and grill away! Keep in mind, a grill pan inside can create a good bit of smoke. Because of this, it’s a good idea to turn your stove hood on high to help suck up the additional smoke.

Do you have any favorite recipes that can be made on a grill pan? If so, share them with us in the comments!