How to Use a Baking Pan

Using a grill pan is a way to simulate the outdoor barbecue experience. Baking pans are very useful for people living in apartments. However, cooking with a grill pan is not the same as a regular frying pan. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to get food cooked properly, with scorch marks and a grilled taste. If you know how to prepare pans and foods, follow the correct baking steps, and store them properly, you’ll see the benefits of a baking pan.

Table of Contents

Choose a baking pan

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Choose a pan with a deep groove. In general, pans with deep grooves will work better than pans with shallow grooves or only mild ripples. The deeper the grooves, the more obvious the scorch marks will be. Also, the wider the rim, the more the finished product will look like baking. Look for pans with grooves deeper than 0.5cm. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Choose pans that are cast iron. Cast iron pans can hold heat better than pans with non-stick sides. Also, cast iron pans better mimic a grill than a non-stick pan. Finally, cast iron pans will scorch food better than non-stick pans.

While nonstick pans are easier to clean, they won’t produce the same result. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Avoid using cast iron pans if the cooktop is made of ceramic.

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Choose a square baking pan. A round pan can also be used, but its baking area is smaller than a square pan. With a square grill pan, you have more space to grill meat and vegetables. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Look for a roasting pan with a lid if you want a more visible scorch mark. Some grill pans have pressure lids so you can press down on the meat while it’s grilling, to make the grill more visible. If you don’t press it, the food will still have baking marks but it won’t be obvious and even.

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Look for pans with lids if you want your food to taste like it was grill. When grilling on a true griddle, you usually close the grill lid to retain the heat, smoke, and flavor while baking. Closing the pan lid while cooking food will have the same effect.

Prepare pans and food

Wash and dry the pan. Before you use the pan to bake, give it a quick rinse with warm water. This step will remove the dust that sticks to the pan while it is in storage. After washing, use a clean cloth to dry the pan. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Slice food into relatively thin slices. Since you want to simulate the real baking experience without burning the food, you need to slice the food into relatively thin slices. This way the food will have scorch marks and smoky smells without being burned too much due to the deep cooking of the inside. Some foods that can be grilled with a pan are: ^{[5] X Research Source}

Thin burger, slices of chicken or beef
Salted meat and eggs
Root vegetables such as zucchini, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers and onions.

Oil the food. Before you put food in the pan, brush the food with oil. By brushing the food with oil instead of the pan, you can make sure the food doesn’t stick to the pan and the oil doesn’t burn on the pan. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Use an oil with a high smoke point such as peanut oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or soybean oil. Avoid olive oil with a low smoke point.
Avoid brushing the pan with oil as the oil can burn.

Bake food

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Heat the pan over medium heat. Heat the pan for a minimum of five minutes. This way, the entire surface of the pan will heat up evenly and ensure even cooking. In addition, the food will have nice baking/scorching marks. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Put the food in the pan. Once the pan has been heated enough, you will gently place the food in the pan. Use tongs or other tools to pick up food. Large pieces of food (such as chicken or beef) should be spaced 1.5cm apart. Place the food perpendicular to the grooves to create a scorch mark. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Close the pan lid. Baking pans rarely have lids, but covering them can help food cook faster. Besides, the food will have a more pronounced smoke/scorched smell. To cover the pan, use a lid or metal bowl upside down. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Avoid moving food for about 1 minute. After placing the food in the baking pan, do not turn it over or move it for about a minute. When left alone, the food will have scorch/grill marks and will look better. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Rotate or move the food after a minute or two as needed. If you think the food is burning or cooking unevenly, use tongs to turn it slightly. Depending on the type of food, pan, and stove, you may need to experiment to see how long it takes to rotate the food.

Remember, rotating the food will create diamond-shaped grill marks instead of straight lines.

Flip the food over. After you have turned the food and baked for a few minutes, you need to turn it over. Turning is an important step for even cooking. In addition, flipping the food will prevent the food from burning.

If you’re grilling beef about 2.5cm thick, cook on one side for 3-5 minutes before flipping.
If you are grilling chicken about 2.5cm thick, bake for 5-10 minutes on each side.
Grill pork for 6-7 minutes on each side.
Flip the hamburger over after 3 minutes.
Bake the bratwurst for 5 minutes before flipping.
Shrimp should be grilled for 2-3 minutes before flipping.
Bake vegetables for 3-4 minutes on each side.
If you find that the food is too scorched, turn it over more often. If the food is still burning, reduce the heat. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Measure the temperature of food. If you’re grilling meat, measure the temperature before removing it from the pan. This way you can make sure the temperature inside the meat has reached a minimum that is safe to eat. If you don’t measure the temperature, you’ll make an estimate to make sure the food is done.

Shellfish and crabs should be grilled to 63 degrees Celsius.
Poultry should be grilled to 74 degrees Celsius.
Beef, pork, veal and lamb should be grilled to 63 degrees Celsius.
Ground meat should be grilled to 71 degrees Celsius ^{. [12] XTrusted Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Go to Source}

Cleaning and storing baking pans

Clean the pan with hot water. After the pan cools down, rinse thoroughly with hot water. Then, use a clean towel dipped in hot water and wipe the pan carefully. Focus on the grooves. You will wrap the towel around your finger and wipe along the grooves. Rinse the towel with water from time to time.

After washing the pan, use a towel to dry it completely. If you let the pan dry on its own in the air, it will easily rust. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Oil the cast iron pan. Before storing the cast iron pan, you should use a paper towel to brush a thin layer of vegetable oil on the pan. Then, place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and set the temperature to 190 degrees C. Bake the pan for 1 hour, turn off the oven and let the pan cool.

This preservation process after each use will increase the efficiency and prolong the life of the pan. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Store the pan in a dry place. When storing cast iron baking pans, you must choose a dry place. If you store the pan in a humid place – like outdoors, it will rust. Therefore, you should store the pan in a cupboard or somewhere cool and dry.

Advice

If the baking pan is rusty, you can use a steel wool to scrub it.

Things you need

Baking pan
Water
Piece dishwashers
Vegetable oil
Tissue
Cloth towel
Food

Steps