Grilling is a method of cooking which involves the application of dry heat to the food, from above or below the food being cooked. The food is usually placed on a Grill, a wire grid with a heat source present on the top or below the grid. The heat is transferred to the food by thermal radiation. Some of the popular grilled recipes include dishes such as Grilled Shrimps, Kebabs, Grilled Chicken and Pork Chops.
Origin of Grilled Dishes
The concept of grilling relates to the oldest cooking method in the world, when man first placed meat near an open fire in order to cook it, around 500000 years ago. As time passed, the process of grilling evolved from coal to gas, electronic and infrared grills. It was considered an occasional method used for cooking grilled dishes on picnics, camps etc. until the 1950s, when it started becoming popular in households. Grilling is most popular in the Western culture, though variations of grilled recipes are to be found in Europe, Asia and the Indian Subcontinent as well. Grilled foods such as Grilled Sausages are popular in the west, whereas kebabs and tikkas are famous in Asia and India.
Cooking Grilled Dishes
For grilling, the food is placed on clean and oiled grill bars, for exposure to dry heat from below or above. The grilling equipment, called a salamander, is used to apply heat from above. The food to be grilled must be small and of high quality. It is usually flattened a little, seasoned and oiled prior to cooking. Grilled meat recipes include dishes that possesses a unique aroma, due to high temperature and direct contact with heat. Grilling is a relatively fast cooking process, and the food does not require much time as it is exposed to high temperatures (150-250°C). The space required for grilling depends on the size and type of the grilling equipment (gas, electric, coal or infrared). Grilling was traditionally carried out outside when charcoal grills were used, but with the invention of electric and infrared grills, grilled dishes can be prepared in the kitchen itself.
Popular Grilled Recipes
Various types of grilled food is popular across different cuisines of the world. Beef and mutton kebabs, grilled pork chops, grilled steaks, shish kabobs, grilled fish and many other grilled recipes are prepared and consumed throughout the globe. Meat, poultry, potatoes, sausages and certain types of seafood are suitable ingredients for preparing grilled dishes. Western cuisines use beef in majority, whereas Asian cuisine uses mutton, chicken and seafood, to some extent.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Grilling
There are many advantages of grilling over other methods of cooking. The high intensity of the heat allows the food to be cooked faster. The charred foodstuffs possess a peculiar flavour, aroma and appearance to the grilled food. There are also some disadvantages; for example, grilling requires that the food should be of premium quality, which turns out to be quite expensive. Also, it requires a certain level of skill in order to prepare perfect grilled dishes; it is not a basic method that can be used by everyone.
Techniques Similar to Grilling
Grilling, when done with the heat source above the food, is termed as Broiling. Barbecue is another method very similar to grilling, with the difference being the intensity of heat which is lower in a barbeque, and time of cooking, which is higher when barbequing. In fact, both these methods have evolved out of the grilling method.
Grilling-Trivia
• Lexington, in North Carolina has been termed as the Barbecue Capital of the World.
• Out of every four, at least three American households have a grill.
• July 4th is the most famous weekend for grilling and barbequing.