In 2024, I was fortunate to be in Manitou Springs for the Commonwheel Arts Festival. I picked up a few great pieces and met some amazing craftsman and artists. Among them was David Bradley, Manitou’s local blacksmith. David had just started selling his plancha.
David’s plancha is truly an incredibly well-imagined design. While on legs when used for cooking - much like an antique fire skillet - it deconstructs for storage or transport. The removable leg design has an easy-to-use pin system that insures stability: an important feature when it’s very hot and is supporting your next meal. Last Fall, I was able to get out camping and gave my new plancha a test run. It performed extremely well.
I cheated a little and used my MSR stove and isopro canister as the heat source in lieu of campfire and coals. I was on a bit of a schedule (a terrible thing when camping) and also wanted to be able to regulate the heat for the first cooking trial. As with any new outdoor cooking implement, if you’re not breaking it in with bacon, you’re either vegan (not that there’s anything wrong with that) or you’re doing it wrong. I opted for a thick-cut smoked bacon.
Vidalia onion was added to the plancha next, lightly dusted with berbere and roasted cumin. Purple carrot rounds came next, along with an assortment of sweet and hot peppers hailing from my garden. When the bacon finished a filet mignon was added. The filet was given a generous amount of Cabernet salt, some garlic and onion powder and lightly seasoned with black pepper. Finishing off the meal was summer squash, cooked over the remaining flavors of the prior ingredients and sprinkled with berbere, powdered jalapeño and basted with a little butter to give a flavor assist.
Needless to say that the plancha worked perfectly. I had the stove placed a little off-center underneath so I could keep some of the high carbon steel edges a little cooler to cook the vegetables more slowly as the meats took their time.
David’s plancha design is really an instant heirloom. I have since invested in a smaller diameter version so I can take it backpacking and a giant, 20” version for use when cooking for a group. You need this!
