Cooking with the griddle can bring you and your loved ones so much joy. Whether you’re grilling up dinner or breakfast for the family in the backyard or cooking freshly caught fish with your buddies on a camping trip, you’ll be prepared to cook like a professional. It’s simple and easy, and you can count on it being delicious. One thing you’re going to need to get started, however, is oil. For everything from griddle seasoning to cooking and griddle cleaning, cooking oil is essential.
Cooking oil is one of the main ingredients and building blocks for any barbecue master, and it’ll need to be a tool you always carry along with you, whether you’re going on camping trips, cooking for a group of friends while hunting, or just setting up your griddle in the backyard. Below we’ll explain some of the important functions oil will serve, and we’ll help you pick the right oil for your griddle.
COOKING WITH OIL
You’ll need to use oil for griddle seasoning before and after you use it for the first time, and then afterward for griddle prep before you cook in the future. You use oil to season the griddle to help create a natural non-stick surface that will make clean-up easy and add an extra layer of flavor. Repeat the oil for seasoning several times after you cook it off to help prepare the surface for effective and efficient cooking. Then make sure to clean well afterward to protect against rust and get any food scraps off.
Be sure to use enough oil before and during your cooking, too, to help maintain that easy, non-stick surface and to add the right flavors for your meal. When it comes to griddle cleaning after seasoning, you’ll also want to wipe down the griddle with cooking oil and paper towels. With just a little bit of work and being careful to remember seasoning, your griddle can keep delivering high-quality food for your outdoor adventures for quite a long time.
WHICH OILS WORK BEST?
As you’re getting ready to season your griddle, you’ll have to think carefully about which oil you want to use for building up that flavorful, non-stick surface on your griddle. It’s important to keep in mind that the oil should be one especially high in fatty acids. This will help it bond with your griddle, which is what you’re looking for. Here are some worthwhile choices:
- Vegetable shortening
- Canola oil (or another vegetable oil)
- Flax oil
- Olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
- Coconut oil
The best oil for griddle cooking also depends on your own cooking preferences. You want something that adds the right type of flavor to whatever delicious meal you’re planning. If you’re going to stir-fry something or cook anything else that requires extra-high temperatures, you’ll want to choose an oil especially well-suited to cooking at higher temperatures. Some of those listed above could work, but other oils could work very well, including peanut oil and sesame oil, depending on the flavor you want.
