How to Empty a Drip Pan or Catch Pan

Grilling a chicken or pork shoulder using the indirect method generates a lot of drippings. If you’ve set up your charcoal grill properly, with the drip pan under the food, it will be full of fat at the end of your grill session. Let the grill and drip pan cool completely before discarding the fat (this will take a couple of hours). Remove the grate and carefully lift out the drip pan. Drain it into an empty milk carton or other resealable container, or place a disposable pan, drippings and all, in a sturdy plastic garbage bag. Some people are tempted to save the drippings for another use. If you’re of this school, strain them through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar. The strainer must have a very fine mesh to remove any ash.