We happened to pass by Sur La Table this morning and decided to pop in and take a tour around to check out new products. Within seconds, the Staub Rectangular Grill Pan leaped out and grabbed us with its little iron grip.
What have we here? An enameled cast iron grill pan with a svelte and slim profile with a folding and removable handle. Which means you can grill up your meats and veg and then transfer to the oven for finishing or just warming. The collapsible handle also makes it easy to store.
With a finish similar to Le Creuset's line of cookware, Staub makes comparable products with comparable prices. But right now this pan is on sale at Sur La Table for $39.95 (regularly $59.95). We couldn't resist.
After drooling over that Viking range this morning, we wanted a little pick-me-up from the realm of reality - the little pan will store easily beside our 18" stove in our little pocket of a kitchen. We are happy.
I don't have THAT grillpan but I do have a cast iron grill pan. I use it almost every single night and aside from the dishes and cutlery IT eat with that is the most used thing in my kitchen. The only thing I don't use it for is flaky fish. I don't know what I did without it!
Same here, Anne! I got a great heavy grill pan with a (heavy) press on sale a few years back at a Crate and Barrel Outlet store. It was a steal at $49. It's large enough to grill 3-4 good-sized chicken breast. That pan is in heavy rotation at my kitchen. I used to grill meat, chicken, fish, tofu, veggies and panini (using the press)! My only challenge is cleaning it after use, especially between the "ridges" of the grill. Anybody know of a brush or sponge made specifically to clean the ridges in grill pans?
Enrique,
George Forman makes a special grill pan sponge. I read about it in this month's "Cooks Illustrated" . It's designed for his grill, but it looks like it might work for others. "CI" gave it a good review. Here's a link to Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002FGFIO/qid=1137190170/sr=1-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-1202280-5121424?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=284507
chrisB. Thanks for the tip! LOL, George Foreman... guess it makes sense when you think about it.
I spray mine with non-stick cooking spray before I use it, and wipe it out with a paper towel before I wash it in the sink with hot, soapy water and a fresh paper towel (you have to buy the good kind of paper towel for this to work). My grill pan stays very clean this way.
And BTW for Canadians, I got a good one for $50 CAD at Canadian Tire. Handle isn't removable though.
I just saw "Good Eats" on Food Network hosted by Alton Brown and he said that if you put coarse salt/kosher salt on the bottom of your grill pan that it will save you from the sticky stuff. The salt is a rock (essentially) and that it will not burn. Try it. Hope it helps.