How to Build a Drip Pan

A drip pan can reduce the amount of flare ups when cooking large pieces of meat.

Drip pans can be made for use on a grill to cook food by indirect grilling. This method is generally used for cooking large cuts of meat and fish fillets. Indirect grilling cooks the food by circulating heat around the grill when the cover is placed over the grill. For indirect grilling, the charcoal is positioned around the edges of the charcoal grate with the center left free of coals. A drip pan is used to catch fats and juices that drip from above. Does this Spark an idea?

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Heavy aluminum foil
Charcoal grill

Instructions

- 1
  
  Estimate the size of the food to be cooked on the grill. Pull foil from its roll to a length of around 2 1/2 times the size of the food and place it on a flat surface.
- 2
  
  Fold the foil in half and push it flat. Fold the four edges of the folded aluminum foil up to make walls around the foil to make two-inch high edges.
- 3
  
  Press in and crease the edges of the aluminum foil drip pan to make right-angled corners on the rectangular drip pan. Making sharp corners seals the drip pan to stop juices escaping once the drip pan is in position.
- 4
  
  Position the drip pan in the center of the lit charcoal grill. The coals of the charcoal grill should be placed around the edges of the grill for indirect grilling.
- 5
  
  Remove the pan after cooking the meat or fish, and use the drippings to make sauces or gravies.