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Grilling

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For the device used to cook see Grill (cooking), for other uses see Grill Also see Barbecue
Food cooking on a charcoal grill
Grilling chicken

Grilling is a form of cooking that involves direct heat. Devices that grill are called grills. The definition varies widely by region and culture.

Grilling In The UK

In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries (except Canada), grilling generally refers to cooking food directly under a source of direct, dry heat. The grill is usually a separate part of an oven where the food is inserted just under the element.[1] This practice is referred to as broiling in North America.

In electric ovens, grilling may be accomplished by placing the food near the upper heating element, with the lower heating element off and the oven door partially open. Grilling in an electric oven may create much smoke and cause splattering in the oven.[2] Gas ovens often have a separate compartment for grilling, as a drawer below the flame.

Grilling In Asia

An original Japanese Hibachi grill

Take a trip to any Japanese city and you will probably find on many streets a yakatori cart or shop with their charcoal-fired hibachis and flavorful marinated grilled meat on a stick. The meat in a habachi is grilled directly over hot charcoal coals at high temperature. The traditional Japanese home also has an hibachi that is used to grill the family meal. The same can be found in most Asian countries, from China to Cambodia, many use a small charcoal grill to cook meats and vegetables. In Indonesia, a favorite food item from food vendors is the famous satay, marinated meat on a bamboo skewer grilled over a charcoal fire and served with peanut sauce.

North American English

File:Mangal.JPG
Israeli Grill

In contrast, in the United States and Canada, use of the word refers to cooking food directly over a source of dry heat[3], typically with the food sitting on a metal grate that leaves "grill marks." In the UK and other Commonwealth countries this would be referred to as barbecueing, although grilling is usually faster and hotter than the American sense of the word "barbecue," which does not necessarily imply grill marks. Grilling is usually done outdoors on charcoal grills and gas grills. Grilling may also be performed using stovetop "grill pans," which have raised metal ridges for the food to sit on.

Similar to a grill/broiler is a salamander, which is most frequently used in a professional kitchen. It is smaller than a standard grill/broiler, and is used to finish off dishes, such as caramelizing the sugar on a Crème brûlée.

The flame-grilling machine at Burger King restaurants is called a 'Broiler' in the US. It works by moving meat patties along a chain conveyor belt between top and bottom burners, 'grilling' from both sides.

In 1898 Bridge & Beach Co., St. Louis, MO. started manufacturing a vertical cast iron stove. These stoves were designed so that the meat could be flame broiled from both sides at the same time. Hinged steel wire gridirons were designed for use in the vertical broilers. The hinged gridirons were slid in & out of the stoves holding the meat while it cooked evenly on both sides. [1]

A skewer or brochette, or a rotisserie may link smaller portions of food into this process. The resulting food product is often called a kabob or kabab or satay.

Mesquite or hickory wood chips (damp) may be added on top of the coals to allow a smoldering effect that provides additional flavor to the food. Other hardwoods such as pecan, apple, maple and oak may also be used.

What gives grilled meat the taste is a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. This process is the term for the browning of meat. The Maillard reaction, along with the flavors imparted by a wood or charcoal fire, is what sets grilling apart from other methods of cooking meat.

Barbecue and barbecuing are a way of cooking meat using the indirect heat and smoke from a wood or charcoal fire in a barbecue pit or smoker. Barbecuing is the slow smoking of tough cuts of meat. Grilling is a method of cooking more tender meats using the direct heat of a fire with the meat over the fire.[3]

For example, a beef brisket is a meat cut often hot smoked or barbecued at 240-270F for 8 to 12 hours. A brisket is not a cut of beef that lends itself to being grilled.

Two of the largest manufacturers of backyard grills in North America call their products 'grills' and not barbecues.[4][5]

Direct and indirect cooking

There are two methods to grill food over a gas, wood or charcoal fire - direct or indirect cooking.[6][7] Using the direct heat method, the food item is placed directly over the flame or coals. This method exposes the food item to very hot temperatures, often in excess of 500F. This is the fastest way to cook food items on a grill. The food items are cooked by the flames and radiant heat coming from the heat source of the grill. The direct heat method is used for grilling steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, pork chops and skewers. The food items must be carefully monitored and turned frequently so as to not burn them.

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 cook all the way through without burning or charring on the outside of the meat.

Cooking meat at high temperatures, such as broiling/grilling or barbecuing, can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines, which are carcinogens[8].

Commonly grilled food and cooking methods

Other meanings

Grilling also refers to intense questioning, scrutinization or speculation.

References

  1. ^ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Grilling
  2. ^ Howstuffworks. "In a kitchen oven, what is the difference between the bake setting and the broil setting?" Last accessed April 15, 2007. http://home.howstuffworks.com/question228.htm
  3. ^ a b "License to Grill", Schlesinger and Willoughby, William Morrow and Co. 1997
  4. ^ http://www.charbroil.com/
  5. ^ http://www.weber.com/
  6. ^ http://www.culinarycafe.com/Barbecue/About_Barbecue.html
  7. ^ http://www.weber.com/bbq/pub/recipe/grilling101/directindirect.aspx
  8. ^ Sugimura T, Wakabayashi K, Nakagama H, Nagao M (2004). "Heterocyclic amines: Mutagens/carcinogens produced during cooking of meat and fish". Cancer Sci. 95 (4): 290–9. PMID 15072585.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

See also

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on
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