Outdoor griddle station with grease management system

A cooking system comprising:

• a heat source containment structure housing at least one heating element disposed therein;
• a griddle member adapted for placement in overlying relation to said heat source containment structure, the griddle member including an upper side and underside, the upper side defining a cooking surface comprising a heat transfer zone and at least one drain extending through said griddle member between said upper side and said underside, said at least one drain having an inverse frustoconical geometry with a proximal opening and a distal opening, said proximal opening having an effective length dimension and width dimension wherein said length dimension is at least 1.5 times the length of said width dimension, wherein said at least one drain includes an elliptical perimeter at the upper side, said at least one drain further including downwardly extending side walls extending in a convex manner from the proximal opening to the distal opening, said griddle member further including a raised perimeter wall defining a splatter guard extending upwardly from the perimeter of the heat transfer zone;
• a fluid transfer assembly extending downwardly away from said at least one drain in nested relation and fluid communication with said at least one drain, the fluid transfer assembly comprising a ferrous metal basin element in combination with a hollow ferrous metal cylindrical duct extending downwardly away from said basin element, said basin element including at least one mounting flange and being disposed in at least partial surrounding relation to said downwardly extending sidewalls, said cylindrical duct having a thickness of between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm and a length of between 10 cm and 35 cm;
• and
• a metal receptacle disposed below said cylindrical duct and adapted to receive and hold food byproducts transported through the fluid transfer assembly, said receptacle having a box configuration including an open top, a floor, a pair of opposing end walls, and a pair of opposing side walls, said end walls and side walls being disposed around the floor, said receptacle further including a handle attached to an end wall and support flanges extending laterally away from upper edges of said opposing side walls, said support flanges being adapted to support said receptacle in sliding relation to a bracket attached to said heat source containment structure.