Grilling is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Yet there are times when the grill just isn’t the way to go. The weather, having charcoal or propane on hand or a quick meal can all but a halt to the idea of grilling. This is when broiling comes into play. You can get that same grilling experience right from the oven. Broiling foods doesn’t mean skill but that are a few things that are necessary to know before broiling up those mouthwatering meals.

What is Broiling?

Broiling uses intense direct heat when cooking just like grilling. Even though it is in a closed in box the food is cooking like it’s in an opened space. Broiling requires keeping an eye on the food to keep it from burning. It gives the food a rich juicy taste and gives it a pretty golden brown color. Broiling reaches those characteristics differently than the grill.
 
Temperature

Many of us believe that it is easier to cook when we turn the knob to a certain temperature on the oven. With broiling you could face more of a challenge. When your oven reaches the desired temperature it will automatically cut off. This helps to regulate the oven in order to keep it at the programmed temperature. The problem with that is the food is left cooking in its own heat. A wonderful way to avoid this baking like switch is to crack your oven door so that the oven never reaches its set temperature letting the food actually broil.

Cookware

One of the key factors when broiling is separating the fat and greases from the food. If they don’t separate, instead of broiling the food will actually bake. This is where the need for a broiling pan comes in. It’s a specially designed pan that allows the “extras” to drip to the bottom of the pan and away from the food. Making food that much healthier.

Eyes

With any method of cooking you always have to watch the food.  Some forms of cooking may allow you to walk away for extended periods of time but that is not the case when broiling. Just like when you cook on the grill it is important to be very cautious and attentive to make sure the food doesn’t burn.

Space

The amount of smoke is another issue that must be faced when broiling. Because the food is not being cooked outside like when grilling there is nowhere for the smoke to go but in the house. The way to help eliminate the amount of smoke is by trimming the fat off the meat. This will be healthier as well as helping to keep the smoke out your eyes.

With broiling you won’t get that charred taste like from a grill but it still offers some pretty special tasting food. Try broiling and see how juicy and tender those cuts of meats can be. Learning the techniques of broiling will keep everyone coming back for more.