I've got a Lodge reversible cast iron grill/griddle (this model). The griddle side works great, and I've had no problems with food sticking or burning. But I've had less luck with the grill side. Specifically, any time I grill meats that have been marinated in a sugary marinade, the sugar burns and sticks to the grill.
Is that to be expected? Is there some kind of technique to grilling foods with sugar on cast iron I should be using?
I encountered this problem making Bulgogi. I found that the surface should be well oiled/greased, and as much marinade drained from the meat as is possible. Baking soda and vinegar did a bangup job cleaning off the residue - my griddle was fine, but you may need to re-season.
Yes, this is expected. The cast iron turns the sugar into caramel, which is one of the stickiest substances which you will ever encounter in a kitchen, and then on to charcoal.
I don't know why you marinate your meat in sugar, but if you do, you have to either not grill it, or live with the mess.
