22
USiNg thE OvEN
Smoking
Due to the intense heat associated with broiling, it is nor-
mal to experience smoke during the cooking process. This
smoke is a natural byproduct of searing and should not
cause you to worry. If you are experiencing more smoke
than you are comfortable with, use the following tips to
reduce the amount of smoke in your oven.
1. Always use a broiler pan. Do not use sautee pans or
regular baking sheets for safety reasons.
2. NEVER use a broiler pan that is not thoroughly
cleaned and at room temperature at the beginning
of cooking.
3. ALWAYS run your cooktop ventilation system or vent
hood during broiling.
4. Keep the interior of your oven as clean as possible.
Left over debris from prior meals can burn or catch
fire.
5. Avoid fatty marinades and sugary glazes. Both of
these will increase the amount of smoke you experi-
ence. If you would like to use a glaze, apply it at the
very end of cooking.
6. If you are experiencing significant smoke with any
food item, consider:
y Lower the broiler to the LO setting.
y Lower the rack position to cook the food further
away from the broiler.
y Use the HI broil setting to achieve the level of sear-
ing you desire, and then either switch to the LO broil
setting, or switch to the BAKE function.
7. As a rule, fattier cuts of meat and fish will produce
more smoke than leaner items.
Adhere to the recommended broil settings and cooking
guidelines in the chart on the following page whenever
possible.
Broiling Tips
Beef
y Steaks and chops should always be allowed to rest for
five minutes before cutting into them and eating. This
allows the heat to distribute evenly through the food
and creates a more tender and juicy result.
y Consider removing thick pieces of meat from the re-
frigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. This will help
them cook more quickly and evenly, and will produce
less smoke when broiling. Please note that cooking
times will likely be shorter than the times indicated in
the Broiling Chart.
y For bone-in steaks or chops that have been "Frenched"
(all meat removed from around the bone), wrap the ex-
posed sections of bone in foil to reduce burning.
Seafood
y When broiling skin-on fish, always use the Medium
broil setting and always broil the skin side last.
y Seafood is best consumed immediately after cooking.
Allowing seafood to rest after cooking can cause the
food to dry out.
y It is a good idea to rub a thin coating of oil on the sur-
face of the broiling pan before cooking to reduce stick-
ing, especially with fish and seafood. You can also use
a light coating of non-stick pan spray.
vegetables
y Toss your vegetables lightly in oil before cooking to
improve browning.