Have you just moved to a new house, or have you had your kitchen given a new look? If you have, the chances are that you have bought new kitchenware.
Some of these items are straightforward to use, while others may be a bit challenging. An example of a kitchenware that may be troublesome is the cast iron griddle.
This griddle has many advantages, with the main being that it gives you an easy time preparing pancakes, eggs, and other flatbreads.
We want to make life easier for you, and that is why we have come up with this article. We are going to guide you on how to use cast iron griddle on gas stove. We shall also provide you with any other useful information regarding this kitchen item.
Selecting and Preparing the Cast Iron Griddle for Use
The gas stove burns the griddle directly, and you should decide whether your griddle should be large enough to cover two burners or be smaller for one burner.
Keep in mind that a gas stove does not give you precise temperature adjustment options like an electric one. Therefore, you have to monitor your food so that it does not get burnt.
Ridged or Flat Griddle
When buying the griddle, make up your mind on whether you want it flat or with ridged edges. The latter is ideal for preparing food such as hamburgers that are better with the classic grill marks as they drain grease away.
Washing Before Use
It is vital that you clean the griddle before putting it to use. Immediately you get home after buying it, use hot and soapy water to wash down the kitchen tool.
After that, rinse the griddle so that you can wash off all the soap residue. If you mess the rinsing, the griddle would not only have ugly white marks, but it may leave an undesirable soapy taste on the food.
From there, use a soft towel to dry the griddle thoroughly.
Seasoning the Griddle
This is the last step before the griddle is ready for use in preparing the food. The wonderful thing is that it is a straightforward process that should not take up too much of your time or energy.
Oil a paper towel with some cooking or vegetable oil and then use this towel to wipe down the entire surface of the griddle.
Once you are done with the wiping, proceed to wash the griddle once more and rinse it with clean water.
Lastly, dry the griddle properly. At this point, your griddle is now ready for use.
Using the Cast Iron Griddle on Gas Stove to Cook Food
Now, we have to the ‘meat’ of our discussion. We are going to show you how you can use the griddle to prepare different types of food to their perfect states.
I) Breakfast Foods
The broad surface of a griddle is what makes it popular ideal for making many breakfast foods such as pancakes, bacon, and eggs.
Even better is that there are grills designed so you can use the flat surface and the ridged side at the same time. This feature is particularly useful if you are preparing extremely greasy foods.
II) Warming Foods
If you have some leftovers in the fridge that need heating up, the griddle would be of great help. Place the food item such as flatbread on the griddle and then try to maintain medium heat all through the process.
You will enjoy how quickly this heating process will be over.
III) Grilling Steaks and Meats
You can also prepare a tasty grilled steak by use of the griddle, and this is convenient as you do not have to use the charcoal grill for the process.
A big plus in using the griddle is that it is easy to end up with the classic grill marks that you have always desired on the sausage or hamburgers.
IV) Creating Quesadillas
We liked how easy it is to create a toasty quesadilla on the grill. Start by warming the tortillas with cheese and the fillings that you prefer.
If you want the tortillas to become extra crispy, press down on the tortillas.
Note that if you overfill the tortillas with cheese, it may end up oozing out onto the griddle.
The After-Use Rituals
When you are done using the griddle in the gas stove, how you maintain it would determine how long it would remain in good shape to serve you. The maintenance practices include washing it and then storing it appropriately.
Clean Up
When you are done cooking on the griddle, you have to use soapy water to wash it clean. If you are using cold water for the cleaning, ensure that the griddle has cooled down completely before it comes into contact with the water.
Failure to observe the cooling may lead to warping.
Another thing is that we recommend you handwash the griddle rather than use a dishwasher. This is because these machines are capable of damaging the griddle’s surface.
Always read the instructions on the label before embarking on the cleaning.
The Cleaning Items
Now, you wouldn’t want to clean your griddle with something that would damage the surface. That is why we advise you to use a soft cloth or sponge for the cleaning.
Items such as steel wool or anything metallic should not be in your vocabulary.
NB
If you scrub out the initial seasoning, you have to re-season the griddle all over again. Wipe it dry and then rub some cooking oil on the surface.
Storage
Once the griddle has dried up, you should store it in a place where it is easy to get it for the next use. On top of that, if you plan on leaving it on the countertop, ensure that there is sufficient space so that it does not stand in your way.
If you store it inside a cupboard, avoid putting other items on top of it as they may scratch the surface.
Wrapping It Up
There you have it! We believe we have told you everything you need to know about the iron cast griddle. There is a piece on how you can use it on a gas stove, plus we have touched on the simple ways to maintain it to keep it in good shape for future use.
With that, the griddle in your kitchen should not be just another kitchen equipment as you can reap great benefits from it.