Paella pan as potential drip pan / roasting pan?

[addicted-to-smoke]

Noodling around Amazon, I found myself wondering what size pan (with handles) would still fit under a 22.5" kettle's lid. I wasn't necessarily seeking a paella pan but nor did I have something else in mind ...

So there's this, "MageFesa Carbon Steel Paella Pan, 15 Inch" which looks like a zillion others out there: http://www.amazon.com/MageFesa-Carbon-Steel-Paella-Inch/dp/B007XTRHXE/ref=pd_sbs_k_48?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HQ8YBW5RB462MF82VSB

Unlike some others, it's not aluminum, it's carbon steel, but not "coated" carbon steel (say, with Teflon) so ... ya season it. Grill-friendly. Pan + handles is about 19", so it fits under a 22's lid. Goodie.

I'll quote Amazon member "Ray Gray" here. He talks about how he uses it:

If you want a paella use review, move on to another review. This review is about using the pan on a meat smoker.

Once when using aluminum roasting pans to transfer meat to the smoker, I dumped three racks of spare ribs on the ground when the pan twisted and collapsed. I immediately went looking for an alternative that would prevent it from happening again. I found it in the Magefesa 15" Carbon Steel Paella Pan. I now have two of these 15" pans I use on my 22.5" Weber Kettle and my 22.5" Weber Smoky Mountain smoker. The heavy pan and handles can handle anything I want to load in the smoker.

I added a 13.25" Nordicware round cooling rack to the paella pan and now use the paella pan IN the smoker. The cooling rack fits perfectly inside the 15" pan, allowing complete circulation of heat and smoke. The paella pan catches all the drippings and keeps my smoker and Weber Kettle grease free.

I smoke meat once a week every week, sometimes more. The paella pan/cooling rack pays for itself in about 30 smokes compared to the price of heavy duty, disposable aluminum roasters.

BTW, 15" is the diameter of the pan. The handles add another 4" of diameter. The 15" pan fits perfectly in the 22.5" diameter Webers and allows great heat circulation.

Note that he's using it to carry the food and to cook the food on. The round cooling rack serves as the actual looking rack. Perhaps you already do this, but I'm still barely past the stage of knowing how to make toast. Mmm ... toast ...

I can see some positives and negatives to that approach.

* Less cleanup of grill or smoker grates, but you lose preheating the grate and the Nordicware is "non stick" ... meh. http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Round-Cooling-13-25-Diameter/dp/B00DNVI5QO

If I were to do this I'd measure the inside of the pan and search for a round SS rack, https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=13.25+round+cooling+pan+stainless+steel&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#rls=en&q=stainless+steel+round+cooling+racks

* By using two pans, drippings from the top food don't hit the food on the lower tier when isolation is a goal.

* No more needing to foil the water pan (hell, forget the water pan altogether ...) to keep from having to clean it later.

What do you think?

[addicted-to-smoke]

I still get confused when I see these pans because for carbon steel they look awfully shiny. And the painted handles, can that hold up in a grill or smoker?

Compare the color of that one I linked to, so say, Lodge's carbon steel they use for their non-CI skillets like this one, http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-CRS15-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet-15-inch/dp/B009418TN6/ref=pd_sbs_k_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HQ8YBW5RB462MF82VSB

[Jeep]

 Would using a riser be necessary? 

[addicted-to-smoke]

Not sure what you mean by "riser" here. To raise what up?

[Jeep]

The cooling rack from your first post.

[1buckie]

I still get confused when I see these pans because for carbon steel they look awfully shiny. And the painted handles, can that hold up in a grill or smoker?

Compare the color of that one I linked to, so say, Lodge's carbon steel they use for their non-CI skillets like this one, http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-CRS15-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet-15-inch/dp/B009418TN6/ref=pd_sbs_k_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HQ8YBW5RB462MF82VSB

They are shiny because they come polished at 1st.....after awhile, they'll pick up some sheen & blackening from cooking.....my Weber wok was UN-polished  carbon steel before i seasoned completely to prevent any rust.....the 'battleship gray is before anything happened...unpolished.........





Bacon grease & high heat.......







Tilt-A-Whirl....



The 'painted' handles may be a porcelain dip......we'll have to ask someone who has one....

Still don't quite understand a lot about all the seasoning & uses of such things, kinda stick with cheese sandwiches....ummm....cheese sandwiches.............

[addicted-to-smoke]

The cooling rack from your first post.

Oh.

If you just put food on the pan, not stirring etc. you're frying it (if using oil) or burning it (if not) because a large patch of metal is all the meat sees.

The "cooling pan" sits up off the pan and so, acts instead like a grill grate, air and smoke can surround the food. Like a roasting rack.

[addicted-to-smoke]

1buckie I agree with cheese sammiches, perhaps less so with using old socks to season with.

[1buckie]

Those are just bar towels.....some of the most useful items in the arsenal......watch any Aaron Franklin video.....he grabs his meat with them.......

[Uncle JJ]

Those are just bar towels.....some of the most useful items in the arsenal......watch any Aaron Franklin video.....he grabs his meat with them.......

I didn't know he did those kinds of videos 

[swamprb]

dayum! BBQ is a dirty job.

Those be some mighty expensive drip trays if ya ask me.

[addicted-to-smoke]

dayum! BBQ is a dirty job.

Those be some mighty expensive drip trays if ya ask me.

Exactly my first thought as well. However, he says they eventually pay for themselves compared to disposable pans -- even before you consider the potential use as a pan to cook paella pan.

I think a carrying tray/roasting/grilling pan is smart. I have to put foil on a tray just to carry meat, and then do it again or dirty a pan just to carry it off.

I haven't done this and so, can't "defend" it but it still seems like an interesting and valid solution for what the dude described.

[austin87]

I got something like this http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Classic-Metal-Covered/dp/B0006SGQFY

I haven't used it a ton but I like the idea. I also got a pack of I 30 disposable cake pans for $6 at Costco, $0.20 each. I do use them multiple times until they are pretty nasty and all the drippings have turned to carbon three or four times.

[austin87]

But having a paella pan is pretty cool!

[pbe gummi bear]

the terms Carbon Steel and Stainless steel alone won't tell you much. All steel is a mix of Iron, Carbon, and other metals to form an alloy. Stainless is defined as a steel alloy with 10% chromium, a material that gives you that nice shiny luster. A steel alloy with 9.9% chromium and other metals can give you a shiny look while still being considered "carbon steel"

I think drip pans are a great idea. If you are strictly using the pan as a drip pan and you don't need the handles, save yourself a few dollars and get a large pizza pan like this

let us know what you decide!