Grilling is a form of cooking where dry heat is applied to the surface of the food in order to cook it. This heat is direct and it is used to cook up the meat and vegetables quickly. Grill grates provide the surface for placing the food and the grill marks are very popular among the people. We are going to discuss all about grilling in this article so let's go ahead and get started with it.
About
Heat is transferring through thermal radiation when you are using a grill. If you are using a pan or skillet then you are getting the direct heat through conduction. If the heat is coming from above then the process is known as broiling. There are different techniques to grilling and it comes with a number of health hazards too. Grilled food has a different kind of flavor and aroma that can make you lick your lips in anticipation. If you have ever had grilled food then you are always going to crave it. The Maillard reaction occurs when the temperature reaches 155 degrees Celsius. The distinct taste and aroma comes from the said reaction.
When you are cooking cooking beef, pork, poultry, and fish at very high temperature then you are leading to the formation of heterocyclic amines, benzopyrenes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens. We know that these scientific names are going to confuse you so let us make this simple for understanding. The carcinogens are substances that can cause cancer so many people recommend not eating a lot of grilled food. However, this can be reduced with the help of marination.
Regional Variations
Grilling differs from one place to another. It can be done in a number of ways and with a number of variations. We are going to discuss all about it. So let us go with the flow and start with the different continents.
Asia
Asia is one of the most popular spot for grilled food. You can find a lot of variety in the grilled food of this continent. There are countries that specialize in grilling so much that their grilling process has become world famous. You might already know some of them including Japan and Korea.
Japan
Yakitori grills are famous in Japan and they come from the Japanese culture. They can be found in shops and restaurants at Japan. They are charcoal fired grills and they are very unique from the other grills. The meat is not cooked directly on the grill but they are grilled on a stick like a kebab. Do not think that they are the same though. The food that is cooked on these types of grills are known as yakiniku. It goes directly over hot charcoal and comes out tasting delicious. The style of grilling is very popular in Asia.
Korea
Korean grilled food is famous all over the world. Korean grill restaurants are coming up outside of Korea too. You can cook a number of delicious and unique dishes on the Korean grill. Some examples of Korean barbecue which you might have heard of includes bulgogi. This is like thinly sliced or shredded beef which is marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, green onions, and black pepper. You can also get the galbi which is pork ribs, dak-galbi referring to marinated chicken. Other dishes also include gopchang-gui (small intestines), tteok-galbi (grilled short rib patties), and makchang-gui (beef abomasum).
Philippines
The style of grilling is not very unique but they are still significant enough to be mentioned in the list. Some of the common cuts that are sold in the market includes chicken inihaw, inasal, isaw, and satti.
Europe
Europeans also have a taste for grilled food. You might not think that they know much about spices but they can make a good grill. There are few countries that specialize in this kind of grilling. Let's take a look.
Germany
The most common form of outdoor grilling in Germany is done using the gridiron which is generally placed at the top of a bed of burning charcoal. The charcoal is not supposed to produce any flames and the food is cooked just using the heat and smoke. This is kind of unique and takes skill to do. You can not perform this kind of grilling without practice. How do they do this? Well beer is sprinkled at the top of sausages or meat to suppress the flames. It is necessary to marinate the meat before grilling. There are times when it is done over gas but that is not very authentic.
Sweden
Grilling directly over hot charcoal is the most prominent style of grilling. Boston butt, pork chops or pork fillet are the choice of the people. There is also a way of cooking meat and vegetables together in the form of a skewer. This is also known as the "grillspett".
United Kingdom
In United Kingdom, the term grilling means cooking directly under the source of direct and dry heat. The grilling process is more like broiling in the United States. The grill is generally a part of the oven and the food is inserted right below the element. If you have an electric oven then you can do this United Kingdom style of grilling by placing it near the upper heating element. The lower heating element should be turned off and the oven door should be slightly open. However, you have to understand that grilling in an electric oven can create large amount of splatters and smoke. Be careful and cautious.
North and South America
They are well known to be grilling fanatics. People of ten United States love a good grill party in the summer and they are known to go all out for it. So let's take a look at their style of grilling.
Canada
They generally cook on charcoal or gas grills. The market for electric grill is not so big in Canada. They refer to the process are barbecuing rather than grilling but you get the meaning. You can barbecue throughout the year in Canada. However, people generally opt to grill in the warmer months and then store the grills inside their home during the colder months.
Mexico
Grilled meat is a staple food in Mexico. Some of the popular cuts that are grilled includes arrachera, beefsteak and rib eye, as well as chorizo and chicken. The common fuel that is used for grilling is charcoal, mesquite or firewood.
United States
United States is known to be a fan of grilling. The term grilling refers to cooking the food over the direct dry heat from the fuel. It makes everyone come together and enjoy time with their families. The food is generally cooked on the grill grates that are made of metal and they are the ones responsible for making the grill marks. Grilling is generally done out in the open but there are options to grill indoors too.
Gas and charcoal are the common fuel used in the grilling process but the infrared method is becoming common more and more nowadays. There are stove top grill pans that are used for the process too. You can use an indoor electric grill too if you do not have access to space outside. Mesquite or hickory wood chips are used at times to add more flavor to the food. Other hardwoods such as pecan, apple, maple and oak can be used too.
Health Risks
It is true that when the food is grilled at very high temperature, the cooking process can create a lot of carcinogenic chemicals. These chemicals are not good for the human body. They can cause cancer. However, the chances of that happening is very low if you can moderate the quantity of food you are consuming. These carcinogenic chemicals are caused because of two processes. Heterocyclic amines are formed when amino acids, sugars, and creatine react with each other at very high temperatures during the grilling process.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is another thing that is formed when fat and juices drip on the fire and causes flames. These flames are called flare ups and they can cause the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to stick to the food. This can be the cause of the health risks that you hear about. We know about the risks and we still grill food. I am sure that you can see the allure of delicious food.
Methods of Grilling
Yes, there are different methods of grilling too. We have talked about the regional way of cooking and which part of the world prefers which cut of the meat but let us talk about the practical nature of the process and classify them according to that.
Grid Ironing
Grid Ironing might sound like something different but it is a form of grilling. The food items are suspended above a heat source. This kind of grilling is not meant for indoors and it is usually done out in the open. Charcoal, wood, or propane gas is used for this technique. There are outdoor grills that comes with a cover so that it can be used for smoking too. The suspended metal grate is known as the gridiron.
If you are grilling good food in the gridiron then you might have to refer to the process as a barbecue. However, the confusion is created in the United States because when they say barbecue they mean cooking the food over indirect heat which is not the case here. Linguistics can get in the way of grilling but the food is always going to come out tasting the same.
Charcoal kettle-grilling
Grilling over a charcoal fire in a kettle is the very essence of Charcoal kettle-grilling. The edges are going to be charred and the grill marks are going to be visible on the meat or food that you are planning to cook. Many people like this kind of cooking. There are many restaurants who try to make this into a better experience by using ceramic lava rocks or infrared heat. We can't say that they are not a hit among the public either. The concept is well received in the United States.
Grill-baking
It is possible to combine grilling and roasting by placing baking sheet pan above the grill surface. It makes the process of cooking breadcrumb covered food in the grill. You can even make casseroles using this process. If you are cooking a stuffed dish then you can bake the good food on the sheet pan. After that if you want the char marks then you can put it on the grill. If you don't want it then you can serve it as it is. The grill marks is just going to add a little more flavor to the food. The process can come in very handy.
Grill-braising
You must be wondering whether it is possible to braise meat and vegetables on a grill. The answer is yes. You can use Grill-braising to braise your food in a pot on the grill. It is a very simple yet effective way of using the grill. Gas or electric grills are the best for the process. Put a pot at the top of the grill. Cover it up and let it simmer for a little while.
You can get a few advantages out of this process. This allows you to brown the meat pretty easily. After you are finished you can even glaze the meat with a sauce. Finish it up over the fire after you are done braising. This process makes the food go through the cooking process thrice. This makes the meat so soft that it will fall right off the bone. You can say that this process takes longer than the process of grilling but it is much faster than smoking.
Indoor grilling
Indoor grilling is also very popular nowadays. There are many restaurants who grill the food indoors. They are similar in structure to that of the outdoor grills. However, they are more likely to run on electricity or gas rather than charcoal. If you are someone who does not have a lot of space outside then you can go ahead and get yourself an indoor grill.
Sear grilling
Sear grilling is more like searing the food at very high temperatures. The temperature has to go over 900 degrees Fahrenheit for you to get the perfect sear. This method is liked by a lot of people because the high temperature sears the outside of the meat immediately and traps all the juices inside the meat. You can say that they make for juicier food.
Stove-top pan grilling
This is kind of a short cut to grilling for people who can not afford a grill or do not have the space for an indoor grill. The stove top grill pan is like a frying pan but it has a lot of ridges that can perform a similar function to that of the grill grates. This is perfect for cooking indoors. You stove is going to provide the heat and the ridges are going to cook the food with direct contact. Stove top grill pans are also used by a lot of professionals to put the sear marks on the meat after they cooked the food on an actual grill. Try it out. They are good at providing the desired marks.
Flattop grilling
Flat top grills originated from Spain and they were known as planchas or la plancha. A hot griddle or flat pan can also be used for grilling. The beauty of the process is that the word does not refer to a single meaning. There can be different processes that are all falling under the same category of 'grilling'. The pan is prepared with oil and butter. The food is cooked quickly over high heat. There is not much hassle in this cooking process. Sausages can be a great food item to grill on a griddle. They are greasy and can cause flare ups in the actual grill. The best thing about flat top grilling is that the heating technology can create a hot and even cooking surface.
You can perform a lot of cooking methods in the flat top grill or griddle. Some of the cooking processes that you can try out includes sautéing, toasting, baking, braising, steaming, stir frying, grilling, and roasting. In rare cases it can also be used in flambéing. Think of the different possibilities that you can achieve with the grill.
Overhead grilling
Overhead grilling is also known as broiling in the United States. This kind of grilling involved grilling in an oven where the heat comes from above. There are chances for the heat to be applied from below too but that is hardly the case. We have talked about this before in the article. The food is put close to the upper heating element so that the heat is properly cooking the food. The lower heating element might be turned off and the oven door is slightly opened so that the cooking can go on.
In professional settings a device called salamander is used for overhead grilling rather than just using a grill. It can be used for toasting or browning of dishes. It melts the cheese perfectly in a sandwich and can be used to caramelize desserts. There is one additional advantage of this style of grilling. You can cook food items that are fatty like steaks and chops without the risk of flare ups. They can be dangerous if you do not know how to control a flare up but no such case can be seen with overhead grilling.
Two sided grilling
You can grill both sides of the meat at the same time using this two sided grilling method. You might have seen such phenomena at the Burger King. The meat patties are cooked from both sides at the same time. This obviously makes the process faster but what are the other advantages of the cooking process? Well, nothing! Yes you read that right. The very existence of these kinds of grills was due to the fact that people needed fast service and the only way to save some time was to cook it from hit sides at once.
Whole grilling
This is the method where the whole animal is cooked instead of just a cut or portion. This kind of grilling is said to be traditional and they are done to uphold traditions or to cook food fast without any hassle during an expedition. Several customs perform a traditional way of cooking a pig roast, luau, or barbacoa. The primitive method of cooking is one of the oldest way to grill and some cultures will still perform it for the sake of upholdinh tradition. We are sure that you have seen images of such cooking taking place. It is a rare opportunity to witness something like that with your own eyes.