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Tips for Indoor Grilling

Dreaming of a thick, juicy grilled burger or porterhouse steak on a cold, rainy night? With an indoor grill—stove top or electric—you can satisfy that craving rain or shine. Plus, these versatile grills mimic outdoor cooking with much less fuss. Here are some helpful tips to ensure success.

• To oil the pan or grid, select an oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, safflower, avocado, grapeseed, or light olive oil. Using tongs, dip a tightly crushed wad of paper towel into a small bowl of the oil, allowing the excess to drip off, then brush the hot cooking surface lightly and evenly with the saturated towel.

• Make sure the pan or grid is perfectly clean, then preheat fully before adding any ingredients to the cooking surface. This will take about 5 minutes for a stove-top pan. The pan is ready when you see a few light wisps of smoke—a signal the surface is hot enough to create grill marks. Alternatively, flick a few drops of water onto the hot surface; if they evaporate on contact, the pan is ready. For an electric grill, follow the manufacturer’sdirections for preheating.

• For even cooking, cut, slice, or shape foods so they are of uniform thickness.

• Once the food is on the hot surface, avoid moving it right away. Leaving it undisturbed for at least a minute ensures you’ll get the desired grill marks, which add both flavor and visual appeal.

• Follow the recipe directions for when to flip the food. Most foods are flipped just once, and tongs are the ideal tool for this step. If the food seems to be charring too much before it’s ready to flip, move or rotate it slightly. If the threat continues, flip the food ahead of the designated time or lower the heat a bit.

• For proper cleaning, following theinstructions that came with your grill pan or electricgrill. Most grill pans can be soaked in hot, soapy water and then wiped clean. If bits of food continue to stick, dislodge them with a firm-bristled nylon brush. Always dry your indoor grilling equipment thoroughly before storing.