Gridiron (cooking)
Encyclopedia
A gridiron is a metal grate
with parallel bars typically used for grilling
meat, fish, vegetables, or combinations of such foods. It may also be two such grids, hinge
d to fold together, to securely hold food while grilling over an open flame.
. The Latin term is "craticula", a diminutive form of "crate
s". This referred to their cross-hatched design, which appeared similar to a wicker basket, or crate. This is also used as the base for the term graticule
, passing through French.
There were numerous iron gridirons manufactured and patented in the U.S. in the 1800s. Originally called spiders, these iron legged devices were used in a fireplace
placed over the fire to cook food. Over time, gridirons have been developed specifically to accommodate the type of food being prepared and the cooking method being used. A combination hinged gridiron and spider was developed and patented in 1836 by Amasa and George Sizer of Meriden, Connecticut
. A steel
wire
gridiron was developed and patented as early as 1889 in New Haven, Connecticut
, by William C. Perkins, of the New Haven Wire Goods Co., who received a U.S. Patent
#408,136 for a hinged gridiron that would hold the meat in place while broiling. A commercial hinged broiler or gridiron was designed for use in the Bridge & Beach, Co., 1898 vertical cast iron
stove
. This hinged broiler was manufactured by Luigi Pieragostini, also of the New Haven Wire Goods Co., and patented in 1939; U.S. Patent #2,148,879.
Today, hinged gridirons are used extensively to deep fry or broil fast food
in restaurants throughout the world. Hotdog
gridirons are also available for camping
and outdoor cooking.
when David, the Micawbers and Traddles improvise a meal on one. Dickens mentions them again as a suitable and practical gift for a blacksmith to make for someone in Charles Dickens' book Great Expectations
where he refers to their use for cooking small fish known as "sprats".
The American football
field resembles a gridiron, which brought up the term "gridiron football
".
Grate
*A grate is a frame of iron bars to hold fuel for a fire.*It may also refer to a covering of a drain, also called a grating.*The act of using a grater, a kitchen utensil.- People :*Don Grate US sportsman....
with parallel bars typically used for grilling
Grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
meat, fish, vegetables, or combinations of such foods. It may also be two such grids, hinge
Hinge
A hinge is a type of bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. Hinges may be made of flexible material or of moving components...
d to fold together, to securely hold food while grilling over an open flame.
Development
Early examples of the gridiron were found in PompeiiPompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
. The Latin term is "craticula", a diminutive form of "crate
Crate
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength...
s". This referred to their cross-hatched design, which appeared similar to a wicker basket, or crate. This is also used as the base for the term graticule
Graticule
Graticule may refer to:* An oscilloscope graticule scale* Another name for the reticle pattern in an optical instrument* The grid used in the Geographic coordinate system...
, passing through French.
There were numerous iron gridirons manufactured and patented in the U.S. in the 1800s. Originally called spiders, these iron legged devices were used in a fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
placed over the fire to cook food. Over time, gridirons have been developed specifically to accommodate the type of food being prepared and the cooking method being used. A combination hinged gridiron and spider was developed and patented in 1836 by Amasa and George Sizer of Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
. A steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
gridiron was developed and patented as early as 1889 in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, by William C. Perkins, of the New Haven Wire Goods Co., who received a U.S. Patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
#408,136 for a hinged gridiron that would hold the meat in place while broiling. A commercial hinged broiler or gridiron was designed for use in the Bridge & Beach, Co., 1898 vertical cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
stove
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
. This hinged broiler was manufactured by Luigi Pieragostini, also of the New Haven Wire Goods Co., and patented in 1939; U.S. Patent #2,148,879.
Today, hinged gridirons are used extensively to deep fry or broil fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
in restaurants throughout the world. Hotdog
HotDog
HotDog is the name of the HTML web editing tool developed by Sausage Software in the mid-1990s. At the time of its development, there were only a small number of HTML editors available on the market and HotDog gathered significant interest from web users due to its ease of use and "What you see...
gridirons are also available for camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and outdoor cooking.
Cultural references
Gridirons are essential to Chapter 28 of David CopperfieldDavid Copperfield (novel)
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery , commonly referred to as David Copperfield, is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a novel in 1850. Like most of his works, it originally appeared in serial...
when David, the Micawbers and Traddles improvise a meal on one. Dickens mentions them again as a suitable and practical gift for a blacksmith to make for someone in Charles Dickens' book Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
where he refers to their use for cooking small fish known as "sprats".
The American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
field resembles a gridiron, which brought up the term "gridiron football
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
".