Most griddling is done in a pretty straightforward manner. You heat the griddle and oil it well. Add the food. Cook until sizzling and browned on the bottom, then cook the other side the same way until done in the center. It’s as simple as that. The short list of foods that can be griddled in this way includes eggs, pancakes, French toast, thin steaks and chops, burgers, chicken breasts, fish fillets, shrimp and crabcakes, thinly sliced vegetables and fruits, noodles, rice, and more – which isn’t such a short list after all. Now, here’s how to griddle them.

Griddle Technique #1: Divide-And-Conquer Griddling

Best for thick sandwiches, like medianoches and muffulettas. Build the sandwich in two halves, with the cold cuts on top. Layer a sheet of parchment paper atop the cold cuts, and start griddling the meat with the parchment paper side down. When the meats are hot and sizzling, carefully turn the half sandwich so the bread side is down. Peel off and discard the parchment paper. Put the two halves together and your sandwich is ready.

Technique #2: Dome Griddling

This method is used for cooking larger or slower-cooking foods, like thicker steaks and chops, chicken pieces, fish steaks—any food that requires a little more heat and time to cook. Place a griddle dome or metal bowl over the food while it’s on the griddle to hold in the heat. Use dome griddling for melting the cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich and speeding up the cooking of a sunny-side up egg.

Technique #3: Steam Griddling

This is a technique developed in Asia to facilitate griddling dense vegetables, like broccoli and winter squash. Work over a medium-hot to hot griddle. Start by cooking the vegetables in oil. Then squirt a tablespoon or two of water on the vegetables. It will boil rapidly, steaming the vegetables in the process. Add more water as needed until the vegetables are sizzling and lightly browned. To intensify the effect, place a griddle dome over the food.

Technique #4: Salt Griddling

A unique method for griddling that Spanish chef José Andrés uses to cook carabineros—Spain’s supernaturally succulent scarlet shrimp. (They take their name from the scarlet uniforms once worn by Spanish carabineros, or police.) Spread out coarse sea salt in a .4-inch-thick (1 cm) layer over your plancha. Heat it well, then lay the shrimp on top. Note: The Spanish like their shrimp barely cooked (make that half-raw) in the center.

Technique #5: Smoke-Griddling

In this method, you smoke right on the surface of the griddle. Heat one zone to high and one zone to medium. Mound a handful of hardwood chips or pellets or a couple of tablespoons of hardwood sawdust directly on the griddle over the hot zone. When it starts to smoke, slide the wood to the medium zone and place the food to be griddled next to it (oil it first). Cover with the griddle dome. Griddle the food covered—the smoldering wood will provide a delicate smoke flavor.

Naturally, all of these recipes will be most successful if griddled on a high-quality grill – like the Wildfire Ranch Pro 30-Inch Stainless Steel Griddle* – with features that make it a superior choice over cast-iron products, including corrosion resistance and durability, 8mm surface (for heat retention and even cooking), and low maintenance (easy to clean, no seasoning required).

* Enter here for your chance to win this Griddle and Steven’s newest book, Project Griddle.

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