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Cast Iron Grates: How to take care of 'em, kinda sorta.

~ by Cajun Clark ~

How to care for your gas grill with cast iron grates so they will last.


RORY writes: Heard about your site in "Taste of Home" magazine. My puzzled question is, I have a gas grill with cast iron grates and need to know how to care for them so they will last. Thank you.

Before proceeding, maybe a little background is in order; call it a protection thing. Here's how your question was addressed, Rory. Each of members of our panel was queried, their answers dutifully recorded, and finally da ol' mon Caj himself transcribed them, put them in the pot, stirred them around, and is ready to pronounce them done.

Now, because the panel consists of four experts(?), you'll get four answers--they sound like a bunch of attorneys or politicians in caucus. :) Fortunately, we've restricted PyroBro aka The River Rat aka Snake Oil, who when you ask him for the time, will tell you how to build the watch, to a limited response--at least it is for him. What? Yes, yes, before all is said and done, you'll hear from the other three when they lay claim to their 13-minutes of infamy; and yes, finally, da ol' mon Caj himself provides "the" answer. Okay? Good, thank you, 'preciate it. Now hit it...

PryoBro aka The River Rat aka Snake Oil: Well, Rory, you came to the right place for an answer. I believe my 33-years of experience with gas grills (and yes, that original Arkla is still cookin') has taught me that the best thing you can do for your grill is to USE IT!

After each use, turn off the grill. Avoid the temptation to burn off the residue after removing your delicious meal. Just leave all the crud on there 'til next time and try to keep the unit dry. Any grease left on the grate will help protect the metal. In humid climates between infrequent uses you may grow some interesting flora. So what? You're going to vaporize most everything when you preheat to some near-solar temperature.

Go to your nearest hardware store and invest five dollars in a good wooden handled stainless steel wire brush. Use the brush to clean the cooking surface AFTER you preheat the grill. If you wish, you can wipe lean meat with a little cooking oil before you put it on to cook. I think you will find that the best way to avoid having meat stick to the grate is to have the grill really HOT first. Put the meat on, then back off of the "inferno" setting. Let the meat cook almost half way before you move it.

And remember, steaks and burgers are just the beginning. Your gas grill is just about the most versatile cooking device known to man. Your imagination is the only limit to what you can cook on the thing. If you don't have a rotisserie attachment for the grill, get one. And think "chicken." (But never cook just one. They tend to evaporate soon after you remove them from the grill.)

Sorry, I got off the topic. The mention of a gas grill creates in me a strong Pavlovian response. Now back to your concern.


With a good quality grill, the upper grate, the cooking surface, will probably outlive you. But chances are that sometime down the line, in 10, 15, maybe 20 years, you'll need a new burner or a new lower grate. That shouldn't be a problem. My local gas company STILL sells parts for my 1968 Arkla!

There is one thing you can do to improve the quality of your grilling experience. Most gas grills are sold with "lava rocks" for heat diffusion. These are unsatisfactory. Shop for perforated ceramic bricks or pyramid shaped bricks to replace the lava rock. Buy enough to completely cover the lower grate with no gaps between the bricks. Your heat will be beautifully uniform from edge to edge, corner to corner. You won't believe the difference.

Good grilling, and good eating.

TgOZ: If you're a messy cook who leaves tons of crud on your grates (like my men) it won't hurt to get them down real close to the fire to burn that stuff off. Other than that a good wire brush should suffice to keep them junk free.

Soap and water once that's done, then maybe a good brush down with veggie or olive oil for rust prevention, and to assist with that non stick capability cast iron has when it's seasoned good.

If that didn't work, I'd ask Caj. ;)

Icee Hubb, O.O.G (Olive Oil Guru): Good question, Rory. Cast iron is a wonderful metal for cooking utensils. The longevity of generations of skillets, Dutch ovens, and other utensils in cupboards is a testament to the metal's ability to withstand hard use and produce superior dishes.

Cast iron grill grates usually come in two varieties, enameled and unfinished. Enameled grates require no special care as long as the original surface is intact. Unfinished grates may well outlast the sum of the other parts of your grill.

If you choose to pursue a maintenance program, I would suggest seasoning your new grates as you would a cast iron cooking utensil. Coat all surfaces of the grates with OLIVE OIL. Olive oil is a wonderful gift of nature and will not become baked on goo over time on your cast iron utensils. Place the unused grates in the oven and bake at 200°F for one hour. Leave the grates in the oven and allow them to cool down with the oven. Wipe off any excess oil and you're ready to grill.

After preparing your outdoor feast, brush the grates with a suitable brush while they are still hot after each use and apply a fresh coat of the oil of olives with a paper towel. Enjoy your new grill! Cooking in the great outdoors is a terrific way to make meals and memories for friends and families.

Da Ol' Mon Caj: Rory, 'preciate your question. It's always fun gettin' da gang together, listenin' to 'em bicker; never agreein'. So seldom in the hustle and bustle of life do we get--take is more like it--the opportunity to have fun. Sorry, I'm fallin' into PyroBro's build a watch syndrome. What would I do? That's easy. Get out the Operator's and/or Owner's Manual and follow their directions.

No! I resent that, gang, it's not a copout. For years the instruction book was the last thing to look at. Now, however, it's the first thing you better pull from the box; and you better go through it from cover-to-cover, front to back, back to front; then think about it all before you take out your latest new toy. And dat's da truth.

About the Author

This article was originally written in 2003. Cajun Clark was (Jan. 1, 1939 - August 26, 2006) a world renowned writer of one-of-a-kind cookbooks. His first was "Cajun Clark's Cookbook: One Inch From the Top -- The Only Way to Cook!", a monster filled with over 1,100 favorite recipes he had collected over the years. That was quickly followed by Cajun Clark’s "Sweet & Sassy!", which was full of mouth-watering dessert recipes. And later, "Cajun Clark Cooks Chicken, Pork, Fish & Small Wild Game".

In addition, Caj wrote articles covering topics ranging from cooking to web site development and marketing to customer service and customer care. His articles are published on the WWW, and have an extensive following due to his unique writing style, “down home” humor and “common sense” approach to life. His cookbooks display this same style and are sprinkled with delightful stories, sage advice and his own “irreverent” comments, making them different from any other cookbook you are likely to find.

Although Caj's cookbooks are no longer sold (I am proud to say that I am an owner of each and every one, including his book "My Life With What's His Name? by Spotless, Queensland Heeler, Cleaner Upper Extraordinaire, as told to Cajun Clark" and "Shamblin' Down a Dead End Road: Remembrances Real(?) and Imagined(?)"), you can still view his wonderful free recipes at his websites for the time being until further notice: www.cajunclarkssweetandsassy.com and www.cajunclarkcooks.com, as well as recipes and anecdotes on his message board.

Caj...we'll miss you!






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