Steel Plate Pickling?

Question

I have a 1/2" A36 Steel Plate that i want to use as a cooking surface for my bbq. I've been told that I need to "Pickle" it before i should cook on it. I intend on doing things like frying eggs, bacon, pancakes, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Answer 1

The Chinese pickle their Woks with oil and salt at high temps but ,yes , you will really have to clean it well first, nobody likes a diesel burger. Also get one of those pumice stones they use in greasy spoons to scrape it down after cooking.

Answer 2

What you'll need to do is make sure it's clean - free of any oils or other loose chemicals that could come off in your cooked food. Then you'll want to bring it up to heat and apply oil or fat to the hot surface. Don't get it too hot, but if you keep it around a reasonable cooking temperature and then let it cool, the oil will stay on, making for a "seasoned" grill. This is the same technique used for cast iron pans. If you can keep that oil film on there, it should be marvelous cooking surface and you should be able to cook on it without things sticking.

For oil to use for the seasoning process, animal fats are best. Peanut oil is also good because it will stand higher temperatures. Don't use olive oil for that step, it starts to burn at a lower temperature.