Food Cooking Techniques Grilling 8 Tips for Grilling a la Plancha A carbon steel plancha grill instantly elevates weeknight grilling. By Mary-Frances Heck Mary-Frances Heck Mary-Frances Heck is a chef and freelance food editor, formerly a senior food editor at Food & Wine. In addition to her recipes and articles appearing in many well-known publications, she has her own cookbook, “Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried and Made into Pie.” Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 18, 2021 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jen Causey Grilling a la plancha ("on the griddle" in Spanish) is an easy upgrade to your charcoal kettle grill or gas grill. A simple setup—a carbon steel plancha set over a grill grate—opens a world of possibilities. Marbled cuts of meat won't flare up or dry out, veggies won't fall through the grill grate, and hard-to-sear items, like citrus and avocados, can be charred and caramelized. Essential Tools for Plancha Cooking 01 of 04 Plancha We love the Lodge Carbon Steel Griddle for its handles, slick cooking surface, and generous 18- by 10-inch area that fits on standard charcoal grills. To buy: Lodge Carbon Steel Griddle at amazon.com 02 of 04 Wok spatula Amazon Intended for cooking over high heat in bowl-shaped woks, a long-handled spatula is perfect for spreading red-hot coals. To buy: Deslon Stainless Steel Wok Spatula at amazon.com 03 of 04 Grilling gloves Amazon Made from flame-retardant material, grilling gloves make it comfortable to work over a hot bed of coals. To buy: Mayferte Extreme Heat Resistant Gloves at amazon.com 04 of 04 Charcoal chimney Courtesy of Amazon The easiest way to get your grill hot enough in no time. To buy: Weber Charcoal Chimney at amazon.com How to Cook a la Plancha Light the Coals Jen Causey Fill each of 2 charcoal chimneys with approximately 3 pounds of hardwood charcoal. Light charcoal and let burn until flames subside and coals glow bright red, about 25 minutes. Pour Into Grill Jen Causey Carefully pour charcoal into kettle grill, and let burn until coals are covered in a thin layer of ash, about 5 minutes. If using a gas grill, heat all zones to high (450°F to 550°F). Arrange Coals Jen Causey Use a wok spatula to arrange coals in an even rectangular layer. Set grill grate in place, and set plancha on grate over bed of coals or gas flames. Let plancha heat 10 minutes. Prep Ingredients Jen Causey Toss the vegetables and rub the meat with neutral oil. Never add oil directly to the surface of the plancha (it may ignite). Add Ingredients Jen Causey When plancha is very hot (water dropped on plancha will bead), use tongs to add ingredients to plancha in a single layer. Sear Jen Causey Sear ingredients until charred on one side, and then flip and cook to the desired degree of doneness. Easy Cleanup Clean the plancha while it is still hot. Soak several paper towels with water, and roll them up together like a cigar. Using a pair of tongs to hold paper towels, rub the surface of the plancha to remove residue. Let plancha and grill cool before removing plancha. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit