A grill has parallel metal bars, with space between each bars. The heat comes from gas, charcoal or wood. You may find electric grills, but these tend not to be as effective. People tend to think of grilling as an outdoor cooking method, however, grills can be aded to a cooking range. Some grills are built-in to cast iron pans, allowing to use the grilling cooking method indoors, without a proper grill.

Use very little fat or oil on the ingredient to be grilled. You can grill meats, vegetables, and fish. Of all ingredients, meats are the ones most often grilled. Gilled vegetables are very nice as well. If you grill fish, be careful as it may break apart - use bigger pieces of "fat" fish, such as salmon.

How To Grill

1. Ensure your grill is very hot.
2. Place the ingredient to be grilled "serving side" down.
3. Let the ingredient cook long enough for the grill to char it, then turn it 90°.
4. Continue to cook until the grill has charred the item again, then flip it.

Ideally, you want to achieve "cross hatching" on the food item you are grilling. This will show the diner that the food was grilled, and also look very good. It is tempting to keep playing with the item while it cooks. Refrain from doing so. Ideally, you would touch the meat only 4 times:

1. Picking it up and putting it on the grill;
2. Turning 90°
3. Flipping over.
4. Removing from the grill.

There is some controversy about grilling - it is said that too much grilling is unhealthy as the intense heat and charring may cause cancer. As with all things, moderation is key.

If you are grilling over wood or charcoal, be careful not to let flames develop and burn the ingredient you are cooking.

Don't confuse a grill with a griddle. The later is a flat surface with no gaps

Concentration

The food item's "juices" are pushed inside, or concentrated in the item.

Roast

Cook in dry heat, without cover.

Grill

Cook on dry heat, on a grill. Most often on a BBQ.

Panfry

Cook in a pan, with little to no fat.

Deepfry

Cook immersed in fat.

Expansion

The food item's "juices" are released from the food item.

Poach

Cook immersed in a cooking liquid, such as water, stock, juice, or wine.

Steam

Cook only with the heat from steam.

Steaming is sometimes considered a cooking by concentration method as the intensity of the steam pushes the juices back inside the food item.

Mixed

This method mixes both concentration and expansion during the cooking process.

Braise

First colour the food item as if panfrying it, then add cooking liquid, cover and continue cooking.

Pot roast

Colour the food item (optional), don't add liquid, but cover and continue cooking.

Mixed mode

Very similar to braise, however the food items tend to be in smaller pieces, like meat diced in 2cm (1") pieces.