Custom Stove Sear Plate

Ok. I am making a concerted effort to bring more material here to johnzehren.com so here is the first of some of the healthy eating tricks. Lately I’ve been dry searing everything. Its an amazing way to cook. Once the grill, or sear plate is tempered, you don’t even need to use oil in many instances. I started with sear plates that fit my grill, but recently made a custom plate to fit my stove.The plate is 1/4″ aluminum. I needed to weld two pieces together to get it large enough. I also welded a 1/2″ strip along the outer edge. This is what keeps it in place. My first attempt was actually too large. When I tried to use it flames shot out of the back, YIKES!  So I needed to trim it down to drop over the front two burners. The original plate was also warped, which at first I didn’t think mattered, but I was wrong.Once I corrected the bow, I drilled heat vent holes along the edges. This worked like a charm. Like most of the custom cookware I make, I tempered and cleaned it. My friend Pat Grady suggested using salt as an abrasive. He says it also helps with the non-stick qualities. After that I slowly heated it and rubbed on olive oil.My first use was rough. It got really hot. I found it was better to bring the plate up to temperature slowly, and to cook at medium heat.