Grilling

Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side.

[1] Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and vegetables quickly.

Grilled meat acquires a distinctive roast aroma and flavor from a chemical process called the Maillard reaction.

[4] 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.

Examples of Korean barbecue include bulgogi (thinly sliced or shredded beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, green onions, and black pepper), galbi (pork or beef ribs), dak-galbi (spicy marinated chicken), and samgyeopsal (pork belly).

In the Philippines, pork or chicken inihaw (similar in taste to yakitori), inasal, isaw, and satti are sold commonly as street food or in specialist restaurants.

[10] Both gas and electric ovens often have a separate compartment for grilling, such as a drawer below the flame or one of the stove top heating elements.

In Argentina and Uruguay, both asado (beef roasted on a fire) and steak a la parrilla (beefsteak cooked on traditional grill) are staple dishes and even hailed as national specialties.

The resulting food product is often called a "kabob" (U.S. term) or "kebab" which means "to grill" in Persian.

Mesquite or hickory wood chips (damp) may be added on top of the coals to create a smoldering effect that provides additional flavor to the food.

As is true of any high-temperature frying or baking,[16] when meat is grilled at high temperatures, the cooking process can generate carcinogenic chemicals.

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are formed when amino acids, sugars, and creatine react at high temperatures.

[16] Avoiding prolonged cooking times or direct exposure to open flames and hot metal surfaces may reduce HCA and PAH formation.

Precooking meat in a microwave can help by reducing the length of exposure to high heat required to finish cooking.

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 roasting to cook meats that are stuffed or coated with breadcrumbs or batter, and to bake 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.

[24] 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.

Some manufacturers of residential cooking appliances now offer indoor grills for home use, either incorporated into a stove top or as a standalone electric device.

Stove-top grill pans can be used to put sear marks on meat before it is finished by overhead radiant heat.

When cooking leaner meats, oil is often applied to the pan ridges to aid in food release.

[27] Some griddles designed for stove-top use incorporate raised ridges in addition to a flat cooking area.

The griddle or pan may be prepared with oil (or butter), and the food is cooked quickly over a high heat.

Charbroiling, or chargrilling outside North America, refers to grilling on a surface with wide raised ridges, to the point of having the food slightly charred in texture.

It is also used for toasting, browning of gratin dishes, melting cheeses onto sandwiches, and caramelizing desserts such as crème brûlée.

For convenience, they are often wall mounted at eye level, enabling easy access and close control of the cooking process.

Many salamanders can be fitted with a cast-iron "branding" plate which is used to make grill marks on the surface of meat.

This concept was invented in 1898, when the Bridge and Beach Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, started manufacturing a vertical cast iron stove.

The hinged gridirons were slid in and out of the stoves holding the meat while it cooked evenly on both sides, like modern day oven racks.

This method is often used in order to avoid the need for complicated grill equipment during, for example, a hunt or expedition in the wild.