Please explain my pan with holes

[Lady Grey]

I found a pan among my mother's old cookware, that has a regular pattern of holes throughout. I'm not sure how to describe it. Regular holes, in rows, like some colanders, maybe 1/8-inch in diameter.

What is it? What is it for? The only two things I can imagine are either:
-It fits inside another pan, over the food, to hold something down flat while it cooks, like if you were a fanatic about flat bacon
-It fits inside another pan with food in it, and maybe you use it to lift the food out of the pan to let grease drain off

[FitMom4Life]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halu%C5%...

[Lady Grey]

Sorry it took me so long to get back here - it's harder now that I have to sign in.

Thanks for all the replies, and I'm sorry that I can't post a picture...although on more thought, maybe the holes are closer to 1/4 than 1/8. It's definitely not a steaming insert nor for steaming Chinese dumplings. The spaetzle idea gave me pause, because my grandmother was Hungarian - although mine is clearly a real pan. It looks a lot like the picture of the chestunt pan, but with smaller holes. Hm.

[janniecooks]

Is is square or rectangular and flat? It could be for baking bacon - bacon is laid on top of the flat pan/tray with the holes, which is set into another baking pan and then baked. the bacon is held off the fat which drains away. I've seen a set like this.

[Riska]

I know! I know! If your grandmother was Hungarian then this is definitely a halusky pan. My family is Slovak and I have one. You press dough through it into boiling water to make the halusky -- they're little dumplings/noodles. See if the pan in this video is the one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElGaf1...

[iluvcookies]

Chestnut pan was my thought too.
to the OP... Does it look like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-Black-C...

[Candy]

That was my thought too but it would be a help to see a picture of the pan.

[Fiona]

The chestnut pans that I am familiar with have holes that are considerably larger - 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Good luck.

[will47]

I saw a chestnut pan which looks like a frying pan with holes in the bottom.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Picture of said pan would help.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, BIGGUNDOCTOR:

LOL, it would help. And 10xLOL without a photo. Or maybe all those holes are from folks shooting in the dark...

Aloha,
Kaleo

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I see odd pans all the time at thrift stores because they get separated at the donation center. Sometimes I will find one part, and down the row I will see something that looks like it is the match, so I am constantly trying combinations in the store. If it does match up, I leave them together. A couple of weeks ago I put a Mixmaster together from 2 different rows, and a wall rack. The mixer was in the small appliances, the bowls were in the glass section, and the beaters were on the wall. I know a lot of the managers now, so I let them know when I put something like that together, as it helps their sales, and they have taken care of me in the past too.

Without a pic we are just shooting in the dark here =)

[Chemicalkinetics]

One explanation is what CuriousCat has said. It is a steamer, and most likely it is a stainless steel Dim Sum steamer. Only aweome people have this:

http://www.usaequipmentdirect.com/images/8%20inch%20Dim%20Sum%20Steamer.jpg

I happened to have those.

It could be a stir fry stainer which only really awesome people own one:

It would be helpful if you can take a photo. I think one of us will recognize in a second.

http://www.auctionflex.com/ai2/35286/12461/4391037_2XB0SI6CX.jpg

Finally, it can be a grilled wok or grilled pan, but I assume many people have seen those that you probably have as well.

http://cdn.taylorgifts.com/images/pro...

I

[mojoeater]

We have something like that for use on the grill. You can grill veggies or shrimp without skewers and no worry of food falling through the grate!

[calliope_nh]

I used to have a pot with a steamer/pasta insert. It went down to about an inch from the bottom. You could boil the pasta and then just lift out the insert to drain.

[bike_girl]

It could be for making spaetzle, I've used something similar to what you describe when we were learning how to make it in cooking school . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spätzle

[greygarious]

Eighth-inch diameter holes would be too small for a spaetzle maker. I agree with Curious Cat and Mojoeater that it is probably a steamer insert or grill basket. But if the sides flare outward it is a pie pan intended for baking single crusts, even though those holes are on the large size for a perforated pie pan..

[CuriousCat]

I'm thinking maybe it is a steamer? (i.e., place inside another pan that has simmering water in it, and steam buns (asian-style) or a dish of fish or vegetables or what have you.)