How to grill inside

A dear friend of mine asked for some ways to "grill" without a grill. I am going to give you a few tips and ideas for "grilling" inside.

First, you will want to invest in a cast iron grill pan - an investment that you will not regret. You can get a pretty good cast iron pan for $35. They are great for quick recipes, but don't really achieve that smokey taste people love.

You may hear people say to "season" your cast iron but what does that mean? You don't ever want to use soap on your cast iron, you simply use 1 TBS of salt (not the real fine stuff but the gritty kind) and scrub/work it into the cast iron. Works like a charm. Depending on how bad it is, you may want to use a steal wool. If you just bought a cast iron pan, simply coat with oil and place upside down in a 325 degree oven, use tinfoil or pan to catch the drippings.

So now that you have your grill pan, you can either get it piping hot on the stove top and grill as usual or you can rediscover your broiler. Think of your broiler as an upside-down grill. Even though you won't get those pretty grill marks or the smoky flavor you'd get from charcoal, you can get a pretty good char. Set your oven rack about 6 to 10 inches from the broiler and use your grill pan, or a pan with ridges, so that the fat is able to run down. As you are cooking you want to check your food frequently so it doesn't burn. After about 4 to 6 minutes pull your steak, pork chop or lamb (whatever you're cooking up) and flip it, then cook for 4 to 6 more minutes for medium rare. One big problem I see with home cooks is constantly wanting to turn and mess with your food to see if it's done - don't do that! Simply trust the clock, and turn it when it says you should. 

So thirdly, I would suggest using smoked spices. For example, hickory smoked salt - which I love - can be found at whole foods, or even online. It's easy to achieve smokiness with spices, so drizzle your fish or vegetables with chili infused olive oil, or smoked paprika. You could even make your own blend with dried chipotle chilies. If you do use liquid smoke be careful not to get carried away, too much and your food will taste like an ashtray. 

Be sure to throw some garlic and fresh herbs on the grill with whatever you're cooking - you could even infuse olive oil with some smoked salt, herbs and garlic and brush it down as you cook. 

Best of luck, let me know what you've been cooking up!