Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat from above or below. Food to be grilled is cooked on a grill (an open wire grid with a heat source above or below), a grill pan (similar to a frying pan, but with raised ridges to mimic the wires of an open grill), or griddle (a flat plate heated from below) . Heat transfer to the food when using a grill is primarily via thermal radiation. Heat transfer when using a grill pan or griddle is by direct conduction. In the United States, when the heat source for grilling comes from above, grilling is termed broiling . In this case, the pan that holds the food is called a broiler pan , and heat transfer is by thermal radiation.
Direct heat grilling can expose food to temperatures often in excess of 260°C (500°F). Grilled meat acquires a distinctive roast aroma from a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction only occurs when foods reach temperatures in excess of 155°C (310°F).
Studies have shown that cooking beef, pork, poultry, and fish at high temperatures can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines, benzopyrenes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens. However, proper marination may reduce the formation of these compounds.
Grilling methods
Gridiron
Grilling is the cooking of meats or other foods (corn, tofu) using a grill suspended above a heat source. Grilling is often performed outdoors, using charcoal (real wood or preformed briquettes), wood, or propane gas. Food is cooked using direct radiant heat. Some outdoor grills include a cover so they can be used as smokers or for grill-roasting/barbecue. The suspended metal grate is often referred to as a gridiron.
Outdoor grilling may be referred to as barbecue , though in traditional usage barbecue referred to the cooking of meat by indirect heat and smoke (see below). Barbecue may also be used to refer to the food itself, to the grilling device used to cook the food (a "barbecue grill"), or even to the social event of cooking and eating such food (which may also be called a "cook-out").
Char-grilling
Char-grilling or charbroiling refers to the process of grilling over a charcoal fire,,,, but may also be used to refer to the process of grilling meat until the edges are charred or charred grill marks are visible.. Some restaurants seek to re-create the charcoal-grilled experience via the use of ceramic lava rocks or infrared heat sources , offering meats that are cooked in this manner as "char-cooked" or "char-grilled".
Barbecue/Grill-roasting/Grill-baking
Main article: BarbecueSee also: Barbecue grillThe term "barbecue" was traditionally applied to a cooking method where low, indirect heat and smoking wood (or hot coals of charcoal) were used to slow cook basted pork or beef, in a process similar to earth oven or masonry oven cooking
Using indirect heat, you place the food item so that it is not directly over flames or coals. This is done by having the fire or coals on only one section of the grill and placing the food item on a part of the cooking grill opposite the flames or coals - for example, having the burners going on the right side of a gas grill but off on the left side or placing the coals on the right side of the grill and no coals on the left side. In a charcoal grill, when indirect grilling, it is best to place a foil pan of water under the food to keep it from drying out. Using the indirect grilling method is best for large cuts of meat or bone-in poultry. It allows the food to slowly cook all the way through without burning or charring on the outside of the meat. Traditional American barbecue is cooked using a grill-roast or grill-bake method, combining two techniques simultaneously.
In addition, by using a baking sheet pan placed above the grill surface, as well as a drip pan below the surface, it is possible to combine grilling and baking to cook meats that are stuffed or coated with breadcrumbs or batter, as well as to cook breads and even casseroles and desserts. When cooking stuffed or coated meats, the foods can be baked first on the sheet pan, and then placed directly on the grilling surface for char marks, effectively cooking twice; the drip pan will be used to capture any crumbs that fall off from the coating or stuffing.
Grill-braising
It is possible to braise meats and vegetables in a pot on top of a grill. A gas or electric grill would be the best choices for what is known as barbecue-braising or grill-braising , or combining grilling directly on the surface and braising in a pot. To braise on a grill, put a pot on top of the grill, cover it, and let it simmer for a few hours. There are two advantages to barbecue-braising: the first is that this method now allows for browning the meat directly on the grill before the braising, and the second is that it also allows for glazing the meat with sauce and finishing it directly over the fire after the braising, effectively cooking the meat three times, which results in a soft textured product that falls right off the bone. This method of cooking is slower than regular grilling but faster than pit-smoking, starting out fast, slowing down, and then speeding up again to finish; if a pressure cooker is used, the cooking time will be much faster.
Indoor Grilling
Many restaurants incorporate an indoor grill as part of their cooking apparatuses. These grills resemble outdoor grills, in that they are made up of a grid suspended over a heat source. Indoor grills are more likely to use electric or gas-base heating elements, however. Some manufacturers of residential cooking appliances now offer indoor grills for home use, either incorporated into a stovetop or as standalone electric devices.
Sear Grilling
Sear-grill and Sear grilling are terms commonly used when referring to a process of searing meat or food items with an infrared grill. In sear grilling, propane or natural gas is used to heat a ceramic plate, which then radiates heat at temperatures over 480C (900F).
Sear-grilling instantly sears the outside of meat to make the food more flavorful. Commonly, grilling heats the surrounding air to cook food. Instead, the infrared grill directly heats the food, not the air.
Pan Grilling
Pan grilling is an indoor cooking process that uses a grill pan - a cooking pan similar to a frying pan but with raised ridges to emulate the function or look of a gridiron. In pan grilling, heat is applied directly to the food by the raised ridges, and also indirectly by heat radiating off the lower pan surface. Grill pans can also be used to put sear marks on meat before it is finished via overhead radiant heat. When cooking leaner meats, oil is often applied to the pan ridges to aid in food release.
Some griddles designed for stovetop use also incorporate raised ridges in addition to a flat cooking area. These are either on half of the cooking surface, or, in the case of reversible two-sided griddles, on one side with the flat surface on the other.
Flattop grilling/Griddling
Main article: Flattop grillMain article: GriddleFoods termed "grilled" may actually be prepared on a hot griddle. In this case, the griddle is prepared with a minimum of oil (if any), and the food is cooked quickly over a high heat. Griddle-grilling is best for relatively greasy foods such as sausages. Some griddle-grilled foods may have grill marks applied to them during the cooking process with a branding plate , to mimic the appearance of charbroil-cooked food.
A flattop grill is a cooking appliance that resembles a griddle but performs differently because the heating element is circular rather than straight (side to side). This heating technology creates an extremely hot and even cooking surface, as heat spreads in a radial fashion over the surface.
The first flattop grills originated in Spain and are known as planchas or la plancha . Food that is cooked “a la plancha” means “grilled on a metal plate.” Plancha griddles or flat tops are chrome plated which prevents reaction with the food. Some base metal griddles will impart a subtle flavor to the food you're cooking. Also, with a plancha if you use a low even heat and a drop of oil you can toast the food and caramelize some of the natural sugars in the food. For example, "Filetes a la plancha" translates to Grilled Beef Fillets. You will also find many la plancha recipes in Latin American (South American countries like: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, & Paraguay) and Cuban cuisine.
The flattop grill is a versatile platform for many cooking techniques such as sautéing, toasting
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