Blackstone Griddle Thread

[Dr. Teeth]

New Blackstone 36” Griddle for Father’s Day.

 

Seasoning it now.   Anybody have one?   What are you doing on it?

[Dave the Cook]

Sweet! I don't have one, but I've had my eye on it for a while. I'm really interested in your experiences with it.

[YvetteMT]

Oh pretty!! Add me to the "keeping my eye on them" list.  Have a friend that got one for stupid cheap because it hadn't been taken care of and he loves his. Partner and I saw a small one at Costco last week that came with all sorts of goodies and would be quite adequate in size for us to camp with and use at home. We didn't pull the trigger, yet. 

 

I can't wait to see what you cook on it!!

[rotuts]

@Dr. Teeth

 

nice.  is this something you plan to use outdoors ?

 

looking forward to you experiences with it.

[Dr. Teeth]

If by outdoors you mean on my back porch, then yes.

 

Seasoned it last night with flaxseed oil and paper towels.   Took about in hour but got a decent base coat.  
 

Made “Oklahoma Smashburgers” by request of my children.  None of us have any connections to Oklahoma or have been to Oklahoma so I can’t make any claims to authentic.

 

But having made them once before on cast iron pans (again kids request) this was much easier and faster.

It’s for all intents and purposes a 36” plancha.   Takes a good deal longer to get to full heat, seems to work great once up to heat.   Given that I was seasoning before I cooked and this needed to get the whole thing hot as possible, I can’t tell yet how effectively you can have zones.

 

i have been given a fair number of unsolicited cooking implements for various Birthdays, Christmas, and Father’s Days.   Usually with an unexpressed desire for some food or another.   This is my favorite so far by a wide margin

[btbyrd]

I have the smallest Blackstone they make and wish I'd gone slightly bigger, but I got mine for portability and storability so I guess I got what I wanted. Mine is small enough to run on a small green 1lb propane tank (its intended fuel source) but it functions much better when you use an adapter to connect it to a 20lb tank. Anyway, my primary use is for smash burgers. I can do four at a time and it's fine. These are made from cast iron and they're relatively thin so the heat isn't very even. But they're inexpensive and fun, so go bananas. One of my friends got one and did his weekly bulk meal prep on it. Cooked a bunch of peppers, onions, and chicken and whatever... minimal cleanup, a smart idea. It can also be a good breakfast thing, but the unevenness of the heat is something to consider with delicate items like eggs or heavy items with a lot of moisture like hash browns (which will brown unevenly if you just let them sit there).

 

TLDR: Smash some burgers, make some breakfast, do some brick wrapped chicken, and sear anything outside that you wouldn't want to sear inside.

Edited Monday at 10:26 PM by btbyrd (log)

[weinoo]

26 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

sear anything outside that you wouldn't want to sear inside.

 

I think this would be my main objective.  But, you know, I don't have an "outside!"

[YvetteMT]

@btbyrd what size do you have and how many do you usually feed?

The small one at Costco is 20 inches (and comes with legs, carrying bag that will hold the legs, etc) and I think it would be large enough to cook for 2, occasionally more.  I'm willing to go a little bigger but not willing to sacrifice portability as I do intend to take it camping (boondock/remote).

[&roid]

Over this side of the pond they have gone up in price a lot. Last few years I haven’t seen the 36” version for less than £700, they’re usually around £740-750. 
 

At the weekend I saw someone post on Reddit that Costco had them at a decent price in store. I was going any way so told my friend I’d pick him one up. Long story short, I came away with two 😁 At £360 I just couldn’t pass the deal up, less than half the price I could normally get one for. 
 

Not been able to unpack it yet but looking forward to giving it a go. We had a similar sized plancha at a holiday rental in France last summer and loved it. 

 

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Pancakes on the Blackstone.   My youngest’s first time using a real plancha surface.   Hence, three pancakes at a time.

 

Worked fairly well.   Has some pronounced hotspots and can’t really be set for anything less than about 375 (by infrared thermometer gun thing) 

[Dr. Teeth]

Cheesesteaks.   Kinda.   Supermarket had “Steak-ums” on sale and I don’t eat lunch, so it was really just for the kids.

 

Chance to send my best friend, a lifelong Philadelphian, who has on more than one occasion spoken for 5 minutes about the qualities of a Sarcone’s roll, a message that with my new Blackstone all I need is Steak-ums, Kraft singles and supermarket rolls for an authentic taste of South Philly, was worth the cost of the meat.

[rotuts]

My mother firmly believed in Breakfast .

 

growing up , my sister and I had two ( over ) poached eggs , on toast 

 

( there was a pan , you put water in the bottom , and then 4 eggs , each in its semi-triangleular holder , and cooked , Well done   w a pat of butter )

 

also there was a ' minute ground meat product ' , Fz , oval shaped , w a pat of butt on it .

 

cooked in a pan and flipped over .    it was delicious ,  maybe a hint of ground garlic and oinion added ?

 

but , for a brief time , there were square , thinly sliced meat , in a stack , also w a butter pat , Fz 

 

that was subbed for the oval .  they were delicious .

 

maybe they were very early Steak-Ums ?   this would have been late '50's ?

 

pleased you are having so much fun w your grill.

 

thanks for the pics.

[Dr. Teeth]

Per Wikipedia, Steak-ums were invented in 1968 and then marketed in 1975.   I have vague memories of Jack Klugman doing adds for them as a kid.   Haven’t had one in 30+ years.

 

They are a bit groddy.   Will try shaved shabu shabu beef from the Asian Market the next time.

 

Below is Rocco.   Shown having been busted investigating left over sub wrappers.

 

Have the extra Steak-ums to him and his sister, Zoe.   They thought they were great.

 

Steak-ums, Kraft Singles, Supermarket Rolls, enjoyed next to someone named Rocco who thinks it’s a delicacy = South Philly as I experienced it.

 

This last comment is only for you folks.   Friends of 30+ years will only tolerate so much 

 

[rotuts]

Nice !

 

what ever the square meat items my sister had growing up 

 

they were thinly sliced meat , stacked , like mille-feuille, but meat , not ground meat.

 

pressed together as single units.   I expect my mother always added a light dusting of onion and garlic powder

 

to the Meats.  the eggs were over cooked , but saved by the butter on the toast , and the leftover butter

 

swimming in the egg compartments.

 

the pan ?  aluminum , inexpensive , aluminum lid :

 

 

this sort of thing , but less fancy .  and the eggs containters were trianges

\

if you get the jist :  round at the rim , then straight to the middle.

[Smithy]

I've never heard of Steak-ums. But I've never lived near, much less in, Philly.

 

The griddle does look like a lot of fun. I've seen them in various campgrounds and rather lusted after them. As it happens, my camping setup wouldn't allow me to carry one around, and I have a fine multi-fuel grill / smoker on the deck here at home. The Blackstone doesn't have a place in my current lifestyle, but I can ogle.

 

Keep the posts coming, for our vicarious enjoyment! And maybe to help someone else decide to buy!

[rotuts]

Blackstone Griddle ::

 

Live the Life of a Short-Order Cook !  

 

with Personally Adjusted Hours !

 

Wrangle that Long Paddle Spatula , just like the Pros !

 

I can see it !

Edited 7 hours ago by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

@Dr. Teeth

 

I am with you , 

 

and see the immediate delight that sort of spatula delivers 

 

on the appropriate acreage .

 

you cant do that in a pan !  even a very big pan .

 

its the same delight one gets with all sorts of kitchen tools :

 

those selected carefully , and taken care of .

 

1 )  do you ' bang ' the spatula on the grill , a few times , cleating the spatula and getting it ready for its next move   ? 

 

nice 

 

I remember seeing very skilled short oder cooks growing up .

 

 

 

[KennethT]

Steak-Umms were present in my NYC suburb in the early '80s as well.  They were always in our freezer - although we never had anything as nice as a plancha or the Blackstone back then!  We just used a frying pan... evidently, since the 80s, they've expanded their product line to a chicken version (using breast/rib meat) and an Angus version!

[Dr. Teeth]

So to provide context:  the air conditioning sort of died in the last round of storms we had.   Just a fuse, so it’s fixed and the house is cooling.   I don’t plan on doing 3 meals a day on the Blackstone.  
 

And it’s a new toy.

 

Anyway, a family staple.   Mexican rice bowls/tacos.

 

Guac done by my youngest.   Refried beans made with Goya pintos.  Squash with onions and peppers and onions done on the Blackstone.   To provide context, that’s 4 onions worth of onions.   It was designed to produce some leftovers.   First thing where I was glad I had a 36” surface.

 

Oh, and that’s a margarita.   Lime, blanco and Cointreau