New to the Griddle game

[sroney]

So, I just bought a 22" Blackstone griddle. Now comes the fun, cooking on it. So, I'll ask, what do you gents that cook on these? I'm looking for things to try. What do you like cooking on them? What, if anything, do you not like cooking on them?

[Attjack]

Smash burgers



Pad Thai







Yakisoba











Udon





Pasta

[Panhead John]

I think he means things us mere mortals can cook.

[sroney]

That all looks awesome. I've got some work to do...

[CaptainMike]

Fried rice, fajitas, breakfast (hash browns/bacon/sausage/eggs etc), fish, let your imagination run wild!

[Attjack]

Shrimp














Cheese



Pinwheels





Salmon

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[CaptainMike]

Yeah, what Attjack said...

[Wedunne]

Carne asada, fish tacos, teppan yaki, pancakes. My pix don't look nearly as awesome as Attjack's though. I've got to try some of those.

[Jfrosty27]

I have a little 17” and still expanding my experience with it. But I do know a couple things:

There seems to be little limit to what you can do with a griddle.

I want a bigger one. 😊

Have fun.

[sroney]

I was going to go bigger. But I decided to make sure I would use it first.

[DavidNorcross]

Bacon! Seriously, I used the griddle for just about everything. Stir fry, burgers, breakfast, etc. I use this cooker more than any other.

[sroney]

I'm thinking it will be very versatile. Just wanted to see what everyone else is doing.

[marshall]

You put my taco night to shame Attjack , that said try ya some cheese steak sroney or anything you would normally cook through it on the griddle ,it a breeze to clean up as an added bonus,
I keep onion,pepper,cheese,bacon potatoes on hand . those items are universal for flat top cookin

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[sroney]

Thank you. I think Cheese steaks will be awesome to cook on this. I am really looking forward to trying this cooker.

[Santamarina]

Smash burgers are probably my favorite to cook. Breakfast is super easy and fast. Tacos, burritos, and quesadillas are no-brainers. Refried beans on the Blackstone are outstanding.

Unusual uses…toast. Ok, maybe not unusual, but at Thanksgiving when I’m making 6 lbs of stuffing (my family really likes stuffing) I toast it all on the griddle before chopping for stuffing. It’s a huge time saver. If you aren’t toasting your stuffing bread first you’re missing a whole dimension of flavor!

Got my 36” Blackstone two years ago and it is by far my most used cooker. My smoker still gets its usual time, but my charcoal/wood grill is now used only for steaks and tri-tip.

[Tomaron]

This just makes me want to get one. lol

[sroney]

Yeah, had I not just bought one, after seeing this, I would be buying one. Now, I thinking 'why didn't i do this sooner'. Oh well, time to get at it.

[coolfins]

You'll love it. Burgers and breakfast are popular. I love doing wings on the flat top, you get a great overall sear on steaks and chops. Pulled pork hash, scallops, garlic shrimp and Tilapia are also favorites. Not much you can't cook on it.
Happy grillin!!

[jfmorris]

Interesting. I've avoided doing wings on the flat top, as I figured they wouldn't cook evenly due to the irregular shape of the drumettes.

[coolfins]

I put the drums on before the flats because they take longer to cook and I lean the drums up against each other to cook the edges

[sroney]

Thanks. I never would have thought of wings on the flat top.

[jfmorris]

sroney Steve I think Attjack covered all the bases, but what I have cooked on my Camp Chef FTG900 in the past year include:

• Breakfast foods such as bacon, eggs, pancakes, sausage.
• Lots of smash burgers, usually also doing some toppings like grilled onions, and toasting buttered buns on the griddle at the end of the cook. I like the "Diner Burger" recipe on the free side of AR (Wimpy Burgers).
• Lots of asian style stir fries - protein of your choice (chicken, steak, shrimp), rice, mixed veggies, eggs, spices, all incorporated into a big mound of awesome goodness.
• Tacos or fajitas, both steak and chicken. You can fix the meat and the peppers and onions, then warm the tortillas.
• Flank steak (for tacos)
• Steak, chops, chicken.
• Shrimp (scampi style).
• Fish
• Flatbreads (naan or pita)
• And probably more stuff I am not thinking of.

Basically I have found I like using the griddle better than my Weber gas grill for anything thin that is conducive to direct heat cooking. Things I would not include would be large irregular cuts of meat, or bone in chicken. Those still go to my other grills.

[sroney]

Thanks jfmorris I appreciate it. I hope you and Yvonne are doing well. I got exactly what I wanted by asking the question. Lots of great ideas.

[jfmorris]

sroney Steve,

I thought I would clutter up this thread with cooks I've done on my griddle, just to get you thinking. Mine are not as pretty as Attjack 's though!

A shrimp stir fry for two, with leftovers - easy peasy!



Some Fajitas Action, including queso and rice cooked on the flat top:



Smashburgers are the BOMB!

Try the "Diner Burger" recipe from the free side of AR.



Healthy Cooking (Fish and Veggies)

I find that a "basting dome" is useful in getting some veggies done on the griddle. You just squirt a little water on, put the dome over them, and let the veggies steam for a while. These are cheap aluminum domes I found on Amazon for under $10 each.

[Attjack]

Nonsense. Those look amazing!

[sroney]

jfmorris that is awesome. Thank you.

[Huskee]

Wonderful!

[jfmorris]

Here's some more cooks.

Breakfast Throwdown!

This is 4 pounds of Wright's thick cut bacon all hitting the griddle at once...



Next, starting hashbrowns while some home made sausage patties go on.



Still working on hash browns, moving on to eggs.



And finally a breakfast spread...



Pork chops and Sides

Again, trying to be healthy, these pork chops got thrown down with an attempt at grilled cabbage and some mixed veggies. I think I used teriyaki sauce on the chops, and I'll give you a hint: it makes a mess on the flat top because of the sugar content. Tasted great, but can burn on and require scraping. I'm staying away from stir fry sauces with tons of sugar, and adding anything like that after the food is done now.




More Taco Style Offerings

This time I went with full flank steaks, cutting them after the cook, versus slicing the meat ahead of time. Also some sliced up boneless skinless chicken thigh for two options on the tacos. I put my daughter in law to work warming tortillas after the cook was done and I had scraped the griddle clean.

[Dan Deter]

How many people did you feed with that breakfast???

[jfmorris]

Dan Deter that was an outdoor socially distanced breakfast get together for 10 folks, in the middle of COVID and my wife's chemo last summer or early fall. My 78 year old parents (now 79), Yvonne and I, and 6 20-30 year olds who devour bacon. I normally don't cook with gloves and a mask on, but did that day.

[sroney]

jfmorris Jim, that is awesome.