From the author of
Taming the Flame, Elizabeth Karmel, comes the GrillMat!
...No more sticking to the grates! No more falling through the grates!
The GrillMat is made from platinum-process silicone that is high-heat safe up to 500°F of indirect heat. The 100% non-stick grilling sheet is manufactured by Lekue, the original silicone bakeware company from Spain. It is designed to be used over indirect heat (not directly over an open flame) which is the preferred grilling method for delicate fish and sliced vegetables. The GrillMat measures 11” x 15” and has a black cooking surface.
About the Grill Mat and its inventor
Elizabeth Karmel knows grilling, and she knows the problems that backyard cooks have when they grill. The two biggest problems are sticking and falling, especially with fish. “I think that grilling is the best way to prepare fish at home, but it also presents the most problems for grillers, says Elizabeth Karmel, creator of www.GirlsattheGrill.com. “It sticks to the grates and falls apart, then it falls through the cooking grates. I designed my trademarked GrillMat to solve these two issues for home cooks.”
“This is the first time in the history of silicone manufacturing that anyone has made a product for the grill, and it was important enough to Elizabeth to find the best possible partner, even though it delayed the product’s introduction. Lekue Housewares is the only manufacturer of platinum-process silicone products, the best quality silicone available,” says Sal Merlo, head of sales and marketing for Lekue USA.
The GrillMat has a black cooking surface so that it virtually fades into the cooking grates of your grill. “Everyone knows that we eat with our eyes before we taste the food, and I wanted the fish to be the star of the show. When you open the lid of your grill to turn your fish, you see the fish, not food on a yellow, blue or grey piece of silicone,” explains Karmel.
“I perforated the surface of the GrillMat with small holes so the fats and juices will drip away from the food and create that distinctive grilled flavor,” continues Karmel.
The GrillMat comes complete with suggestions for use and detailed instructions on Indirect Grilling in case someone isn’t clear on how to set their grill for indirect heat. The GrillMat is designed to be used on both charcoal and gas grills for any delicate foods that may stick like fish or fall through the grates like thinly sliced vegetables.
“Here is how you use the GrillMat on a gas grill,” begins Karmel. “Pre-heat the grill—on high as usual—turn the burner(s) off to create indirect heat. Place the GrillMat over the burner that is turned off. Follow your recipe and turn the food once halfway through the cooking time. When the food is grilled, transfer it to a clean platter. Using a pair of tongs, pick up the edge of the GrillMat, wash it, roll it up and you are good to go for the next cookout,” explains Karmel. The process is the same for charcoal except that the white-gray ashed briquettes will be banked on either side of a drip pan, and the GrillMat will be placed on the cooking grate directly above the drip pan.
Although Karmel designed the GrillMat for the outdoor grill, it has a secondary use indoors. For those people who prefer to cook their foods indoors, use the GrillMat to make great roasted food with no sticking and easy cleanup. “Place a (cake) cooling rack in a cookie sheet, place the GrillMat on top of the cooling rack and place the food on the GrillMat. The elevated cooking surface creates airflow that will mimic grilling by the Indirect Method.” says Karmel. And, the perforated surface lets all the excess fats and juices drain into the cookie sheet. Home cokes can now grill-roast great fish, veggies and other foods indoors or outdoors with ease.
