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ISO flat roasting rack with a tight grid

bucktown_boffo

By bucktown_boffo
in Kitchen Consumer

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bucktown_boffo

bucktown_boffo

Posted
Posted

I've seen them used on TV to roast small pieces of meat - a flat gridlike or narrowly slotted rack that lays barely elevated over a ridged sheet pan. Could someone direct me to an online source for these? I've seen "cooling racks" that look like what I want but am unsure whether they could withstand the high temperatures. Thanks.

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  • 3 weeks later...
markk

markk

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Well, I think I understand what you're looking for, and yes, a cheap cake cooling rack will work. Here's how I use it...

To cook a steak, I render some of its fat in a pan over very high heat, and char the hell out of both sides of the steak, at which point it just needs a few minutes in a warm place to cook through. So what I do is place the cheap cake-cooling rack in a hot oven to get it hot while I'm charring the steak, then using tongs, I lift the steak off the bottom of the pan, and using tongs on the hot rack, slide it under the steak. The pan provides enough residual heat from below to finish cooking, and resting the steak.

If this is what you meant, then you got it. A cheap, tight gridded cake cooling rack will indeed work.

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Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

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bucktown_boffo

bucktown_boffo

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Well, I think I understand what you're looking for, and yes, a cheap cake cooling rack will work.  Here's how I use it...

To cook a steak, I render some of its fat in a pan over very high heat, and char the hell out of both sides of the steak, at which point it just needs a few minutes in a warm place to cook through.  So what I do is place the cheap cake-cooling rack in a hot oven to get it hot while I'm charring the steak, then using tongs, I lift the steak off the bottom of the pan, and using tongs on the hot rack, slide it under the steak.  The pan provides enough residual heat from below to finish cooking, and resting the steak.

If this is what you meant, then you got it.  A cheap, tight gridded cake cooling rack will indeed work.

Thanks for the reply. My main concern with cooling racks is whether they could withstand temperatures of 375 or above for extended periods of time, as I would be using it to roast pieces of meat like boneless (or even bone-in) chicken thighs and things like that, not merely to "finish" a piece of meat I've already started in a blazing hot pan. The cooling racks I've seen at my local Target or Bed Bath and Beyond simply don't look sturdy enough and frankly I worry that whatever paint/glaze/finish is on them will flake off the first time in the oven.

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Emily_R

Emily_R

Posted
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So funny bucktown, as I was literally just thinking about this very same question last night. I have a cake cooling rack from a restaurant supply store, and while I certainly think it is sturdy enough, I do wonder about whether the metal finish could take the heat of a high roasting oven... It has kind of a shiny metal finish on it that I fear might flake off... then again, they are pretty cheap at the supply store, so I'm guessing you could pick one up there and give it a try -- be sure to report back!

Emily

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bucktown_boffo

bucktown_boffo

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I guess I could try the cooling racks, but if the finish does flake off, it'll ruin the food. I'd rather just find the real thing, which I still assume is out there. I've seen these used on cooking shows, a bunch of times, and I doubt they're using cooling racks, so true roasting racks like the ones I've seen on TV must be available somewhere.

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alanamoana

alanamoana

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restaurant supply stores have stainless steel cooling/roasting racks. normally they don't have any sort of coating on them, so they should be fine for roasting on. we roast on them in restaurants all the time. my mom even used on on top of open flame to do some meat skewers. didn't survive as well, but should be fine for indirect high heat roasting.

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bucktown_boffo

bucktown_boffo

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restaurant supply stores have stainless steel cooling/roasting racks.  normally they don't have any sort of coating on them, so they should be fine for roasting on.  we roast on them in restaurants all the time.  my mom even used on on top of open flame to do some meat skewers.  didn't survive as well, but should be fine for indirect high heat roasting.

Got any sources for these, either online or in the Chicago area? Thanks.

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MattJohnson

MattJohnson

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I live in Milwaukee, but get down to Chicago quite often. I've been going here for some cooking supplies and haven't been dissapointed with their selection or prices. I know they have some of those racks you're talking about, but I'm not sure the size you're looking for.

http://www.daplus.us/ShowPhoto.aspx?abi=12...&Partner=400240

Even if you don't find exactly what you're looking for, I'm sure you'll find something else. I got a really nice chinois strainer for 25 bucks. They also stock lots of Cambro plastic containers.

Hope that helps.

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