This year, we propose a slight upgrade to your grilling setup: the Carbon Steel Grill Frying Pan. This combines everything you love about carbon steel—high heat capacity, light weight, and a naturally non stick surface—with the addition of a perforated bottom to maximize direct flame contact.
To show you how versatile this pan can be, we’ve rounded up our favorite recipes to make on our Grill Frying Pan. From the Made In Studio and our restaurant customers, each of these makes maximal use of this pan’s combined searing and grilling powers—and gives you yet another excuse to do all of your cooking outdoors this summer.
Grilled Oysters Two Ways
Our Grill Frying Pan is ideal for cooking oysters for a couple of reasons: one, the pan offers a slight buffer to keep from overcooking the tender little bivalves; two, you won’t have to worry about dropping them through the grates. Plus, you can add lots of messy toppings without the tedious cleanup afterwards—this iteration features both garlic-Parmesan as well as a Bloody Mary-inspired topping.
Steak with Potato Salad
We generally prefer searing our steak in carbon steel or stainless steel to cooking it on the grill. Sometimes, though, we want a little of both—which is why this recipe from Austin’s Terry Black’s BBQ is so perfect. With the grill frying pan, you get just enough surface area to achieve a gorgeous golden-brown sear on the meat, but with the addition of evenly spaced perforations for a bit of flame-kissed char.
Grilled Quail with Okra and Radish Salad
Quail consists primarily of tender, slightly gamy dark meat, which stands up beautifully to the intense, direct heat the grill offers. In this recipe, Texas-based Chef Andy Knudson uses the Grill Frying Pan to develop a burnished, crispy skin on the birds, then pairs them with a crisp, briny herb salad as a welcome contrast in both flavor and texture.
Grilled Oyster Mushrooms with Chimichurri
Mushrooms don’t have to be relegated to second string—they can be treated (and prepared) like the star of the show. Here, Chef Rick Lopez of Austin’s La Condesa seasons his shrooms as he would a steak, simply with salt and pepper, before adding them to the Grill Frying Pan, using the preheated carbon steel surface and direct flame to develop a Maillard reaction laden with savory flavor. The result is seared, crisp, steak-like perfection, especially when topped with a punchy chimichurri.
Grilled Chicken Wings with Texas BBQ Rub and Scallion-Ranch Dressing
When making wings with the Grill Frying Pan, you get the crackly-crisp skin you love in a deep fried chicken wing, but with a bit more smoke and complexity. This is partially due to the Texas BBQ-inspired rub that doubles as a dry brine—the Kosher salt and baking powder help to draw out all the moisture from the meat prior to putting them on the grill, resulting in shatteringly crispy, golden brown wings. Plan to get these wings brining at least 6 hours in advance, but preferably the day before grilling for maximum results (and don’t forget to leave them uncovered to air dry in the fridge!).
Rhoda Boone, Creative Culinary Director of Made In Studio serves them alongside a cooling scallion-ranch dressing—a slight step up from the bottled iteration that makes a world of flavorful difference.
Charred Steak Sandwiches
Crisp, charred, and juicy, grilled steak needs little adornment—though we don’t think you’ll be mad at this sandwich. This recipe, courtesy of Chefs Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph of Austin’s Emmer & Rye, takes full advantage of a grill frying pan by using it to cook Anaheim chilies to blistered, charred perfection, melt the queso, and toast the baguette.
Grilled Zucchini and Peppers with Feta and Sumac
Naturally sweet, meaty-textured zucchini and peppers are fantastic cooked in the Grill Frying Pan, which helps to concentrate the sugars and add complex savory notes. The grilled veggies make a solid side dish on their own, but they pair especially well with briny feta and tart sumac in this summery salad.
Ready to Shop?
Grilling should be all about ease—and whether you’re looking for quick cleanup, easier flipping and tossing, or simply the familiarity of a classic frying pan, our Blue Carbon Steel Grill Frying Pan is an excellent option for outdoor cooking. And if you’re not already sold, you may want to take a closer look at that steak sandwich recipe.
