Stainless Steel Flat-top for Fab. Shop

[Zach Smith]

Guys,

First post here but avid bbqer for years now. I have a question about sanitation using stainless steel.

I have the luxury of working at a local fab shop, and we have a rim piece of 304SS cut out on our plasma table. 24" dia. I have a birthday party this weekend, and I want to do some smashburgers on my weber kettle.

Simple question is, what do I need to do to make sure it's safe to use for the cook. Obviously right now it's dirty with dust, metal shavings, etc. and I plan on cleaning it, and seasoning it if need-be. Please let me know your thoughts if any of you have done this.

Thanks!

 

[PerazziMx14]

Wash with dish soap and hot water then burn it off over hot coals for and hour or so. Once "sanitized" back the temp to 375 to 400" and start seasoning it with crisco. Put a blob of crisco on the center and with a wad of paper towels held by tongs smear the crisco around uniformly. Put the lid back on and after about 1/2 hour do it again twice more. After that close the lid and let it burn out. Next morning ready for action

 

[indaswamp]

Clean it with acetone before soap and water...it will remove oils and hydrocarbons that soap will leave behind.

 

[Zach Smith]

Perfect. Yeah a lot of carbon steel is cut on that burn table, so I want to remove any impurities, and reform that oxide layer SS possesses. I was thinking citric acid because that's what we use here at the shop to passivate SS, but wasn't sure if that would be an issue since I'm cooking with the steel. I'll just go with the acetone.

Thanks indas and Mx for your recommendations.

 

[indaswamp]

You could hit it with citric acid, then acetone....

 

[PerazziMx14]

The ultimate goal is to get any oils or chemicals off the SS. Scrubbing with soap and water then high heat are great at doing that. The soap will cut oil the heat will drive off volatiles. With that when seasoned correctly your food isn't touching the underlying metal is touching the seasoning.

You can use acetone, citric acid, gasoline, MEK or any other harsh chemical you like. It won't work any better than soap, water and heat.

 

[Zach Smith]

Lol, MEK, that's illegal in California now unfortunately. Thanks guys, you've done a good job reassuring me.

 

[indaswamp]

You are more than likely right PerazziMx14. But, better safe than sorry-especially using a piece of metal from a machine shop.

 

[bregent]

What gauge is the steel? I ask because I have a Little Griddle GQ230 stainless griddle that is pretty heavy duty (dont recall the gauge offhand) that does not do well for smash burgers. It gets screaming hot, but does not have the heat capacity to form a good crust.

 

[Zach Smith]

Haha, this is 3/8" Plate, not sheet metal.

 

[motolife313]

Here's mine I put it on my friends head and block surfacer. But if u don't wanna do that I'd just acetone then wash with soap and hot hot sauce water like others said. I'd get some sides up on it and a drain hole

 

[lovethemeats]

The fun of playing with the plasma cutter.

 

[chopsaw]

moto , nice lookin rig .

 

[motolife313]

Thanks! It's all hand made. Pretty much every part

 

[bregent]

Haha, this is 3/8" Plate, not sheet metal.

Yeah, I guess that should work ok :)

 

[dward51]

I'm in awe...... That is just amazing

 

[motolife313]

Ya I get to many ideas in my head lol. Thanks tho!