Broiling is a dry-heat method of oven cooking meats and vegetables in which the food is exposed to direct, radiant heat from a gas or electric element at about 550°F. The food is placed in a special pan and set several inches below the heating element until the desired state of doneness is achieved. Because little or no fat is added, broiling is considered a good method of cookery for those who are counting calories.
In Europe, broiling is considered virtually synonymous with grilling, but in America, the term "broiling" is usually applied to cooking in an oven, while "grilling" usually denotes the use of an outdoor or indoor grill.
In broiling meat, the objective is to sear the outside of the piece and seal in its natural juices or moisture, producing a browned, crusty exterior while bringing the interior to the doneness desired by the cook. In beef, this ranges from a state so rare that it appears to be tinged blue, to "well done," with no hint of pink. The classic beefsteak is cooked medium rare. Beefsteak, pork chops, chicken, and fish are the most commonly broiled foods, but a wide variety of foods can successfully be broiled, even fruit, such as bananas.
Broiling uses a sturdy, two-part pan that fits well in the oven and is normally provided with the oven when new. The top part is the cooking surface and is slotted to permit juices to drip into the bottom part, which can be lined with aluminum foil to make cleaning easier. Either gas or electric heating elements can be used. While restaurants almost always use gas, many home kitchens are equipped with electric broilers. An electric broiler can be an advantage for some foods, such as fish, for which a temperature lower than 550°F is desirable, since the broiler can be set to the desired temperature. Some, but not all, gas broilers can be similarly adjusted.
Since heat rises, it may seem odd that the food is put under the heating element. However, broiling works by radiant energy, in which the heat is applied directly from the gas flame or red-hot electric element, rather than by convection, in which hot, moving air carries the energy.
While the broiler should always be pre-heated for ten to fifteen minutes before the cooking begins, the broiling pan should be left out so that the food is put on a cold surface and then put in the oven. This is to ensure that the food is cooked on one side at a time; otherwise, a hot pan would begin an inadequate cooking process on the "down" side before the piece is turned and becomes the "up" side, exposed to the heating element.
No moisture is added in broiling. To assist in the browning process, however, a thin film of oil can be brushed onto the food piece. Salt and pepper should be added after each side is cooked, but not before; salt can draw out moisture and slow down the browning process, while pepper will burn at high temperatures.
Before broiling beefsteaks and pork chops, most of the external fat should be trimmed, since it will create smoke and contribute nothing to the cooking of the meat. (The juiciness of beef comes from the internal fat known as marbling and a substance called myoglobin rather than from its external fat.)
Basic Technique
Adjust the rack so that the surface of the food will be the desired distance from the broiler (see "Position," below). Keep in mind that the pan and the food together will be two or three inches deep at least. Slash the external fat vertically at several points to keep the steak from curling up as the fat shrinks. Place the food on the broiler pan and put it in the oven; sear one side, add salt and pepper to the cooked side, and turn the piece to cook the other side. Remove when the desired state of doneness is reached; let stand for a few minutes to allow the juices to settle, and serve with sauce or a pat of butter.
Position. The distance of the food piece from the broiler depends on the thickness of the piece. Pieces of meat that are an inch or less thick should be placed about two or three inches from the broiler, with thicker cuts set farther away. Very thick steaks (three or four inches thick, such as a filet mignon) should be broiled on one side about four inches from the broiler, and then the pan should be moved to a lower rack, eight or nine inches from the boiler, to finish.
Time and doneness. While a well-done steak was once considered a mistake if not a tragedy, many restaurant patrons and home cooks have come to tolerate this cooking method. The reasons for this may have to do with the fact that the best steaks––those labeled "prime" according to the grading system of the U.S. Department of Agriculture––are expensive and sold mainly to restaurants or high-end food stores, so that most supermarket shoppers have little acquaintance with steaks whose flavor is at its peak before they are thoroughly cooked. Also, some people believe that undercooked steak is dangerous. In fact, harmful bacteria, if present at all, are present only on the surface and are quickly destroyed by the heat of normal cooking. Deep muscle meat is sterile except under very unusual circumstances, such as extreme illness in the animal, or mishandling of the food. This observation does not apply, however, to hamburger, which consists of ground meat that could include contaminated portions; the USDA recommends thorough cooking of hamburgers and other ground meat products.
The timing for beefsteaks of about one inch thick, placed two inches from the broiler is: very rare, one to two minutes per side (the interior will be purple with a hint of blue); rare, two to three minutes per side (red inside); medium, three to four minutes per side (pink in the center); well done, broil three minutes per side, then lower the rack several inches and cook six to ten minutes more (the steak will be grayish or brown all the way though).
Suitable foods. Beef cuts suitable for broiling include the tenderloin or fillet (the center part is used for châteaubriand, and the tip is the filet mignon); rump steaks; flank steak (for London broil); sirloin, rib-eye, and round steak.
Chicken legs, thighs, and wings can be broiled. Bone-in chicken breasts, as a result of their bulk, are better roasted or grilled than broiled in the oven; boneless chicken breast, however, is perfect for the broiler. The pan should be coated with oil to keep boneless breast from sticking, since it has almost no fat of its own.
Broiling is a good method for pork tenderloin but can easily dry out leaner cuts, such as pork chops, which usually benefit from cooking in liquid on the stovetop. Lamp chops broil well but will cook very quickly, taking two or three minutes per side for medium rare.
Fish fillets are thin enough to be broiled on a single side. Whole, cleaned fish (such as bluefish or mackerel) and fish steaks (such as salmon or tuna) can be broiled on both sides. A whole fish should have the head and tail left on for cooking and should be slashed in two places in the thickest part of the fish to let the heat reach the middle.
Some fruits and vegetables can be broiled, including asparagus; firm tomatoes, cut in half; and peppers. Broiling separates the skin from the pepper, leaving soft, cooked meat. Broiled grapefruit and bananas make tasty side dishes or desserts. Grapefruit, cut in half and topped with sugar, can be broiled until bubbling. Bananas can be peeled, cut lengthwise, and dotted with butter and sugar before broiling.
Bibliography
Bittman, Mark. How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food. New York: Macmillan, 1998.
Conran, Caroline, Terence Conran, and Simon Hopkinson. The Essential Cook Book: The Back-To-Basics Guide to Selecting, Preparing, Cooking, and Serving the Very Best of Food. New York: Stewart Tabori & Chang, 1997.
Hillman, Howard. Kitchen Science: A Guide to Knowing the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.
Kamman, Madeleine. The New Making of a Cook: The Art, Techniques, and Science of Good Cooking. New York: William Morrow, 1997.
Robuchon, Joel. Larousse Gastronomique. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2001.
Wright, Jeni, and Eric Treuille. Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques. New York: William Morrow, 1997.
—Richard L. Lobb
