8.2 Grilling and broiling

Fitting the method to the food

Grills burn charcoal, gas, wood and other fuels, and they cook steak, poultry, fish, seafood and vegetables. So there are many ways to grill. Choose a method by thinking about three things: the food, the heat source, and the result you want. Personal taste and the weather matter too. Will you cook inside or outside?

Direct heat

In direct grilling, the food sits right above the heat. It is the simplest and most common way to grill. The heat is usually high, which makes it good for searing. To sear on a grill, the cook browns both sides of the food hard for a few minutes, to seal flavors. A thicker piece of meat can take a longer sear.

After the sear, the food can move to a cooler part of the grill to finish. Burgers, sausages, steaks, chops and kabobs suit direct heat. They are usually fully cooked in half an hour or less.

Indirect heat

In indirect grilling, the food is kept away from the heat source and cooks by reflected heat. The lid stays closed for most of the cooking. If the food has to sit over the heat, the heat must be kept low. This is close to roasting in an oven. It suits big pieces that need a long time, such as roasts, legs of lamb and whole turkeys. Some foods get both: a sear over direct heat first, then indirect heat to cook through.

Diamond grill marks on steak

• Heat the grill until it is very hot, around 500 to 550°F.
  ▶ Watch
• Season the steaks with salt and pepper, or another seasoning.
  ▶ Watch
• Lay each steak on the grill so its ends point to 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock.
  ▶ Watch
• Wait until the underside is seared and juice starts to show on top. Then turn each steak clockwise so the ends point to 2 and 8 o'clock.
  ▶ Watch
• A minute or two later, turn the steaks over. Cook to the doneness you want. A meat thermometer helps if you are unsure.
  ▶ Watch
• Move the steaks to a clean plate. Let them rest for about 5 minutes so the juices spread back through the meat.
  ▶ Watch

Broiling

To broil beef steaks in the oven:

• Cut through the fat and the epimysium about every inch. The epimysium is the connective tissue wrapped around a muscle. The cuts stop the steak from curling.
  ▶ Watch
• Take the broiler pan out of the oven and turn the oven to broil. An electric broiler is preheated; a gas broiler is not.
• Set the meat on the rack of the broiler pan, 2 to 5 inches below the heat. A steak wanted rare goes nearer the heat. A steak wanted well done goes farther away.
  ▶ Watch
• Keep the oven door open a little during broiling.
  ▶ Watch
• Broil until the top is brown. By then the steak should be about half cooked, or a little more.
• Turn the steak and brown the second side. To test doneness, make a small cut next to the bone, or in the middle of a boneless steak. A thermometer reading is a second check.
  ▶ Watch

Season broiled meat after it browns, not before, or leave it unseasoned. Salt pulls moisture to the cut surface, and that wet surface is slower to brown.

These are the end temperatures for broiled steak. Each steak rests for 3 minutes.

Doneness can also be judged by the color and texture of the meat.