Alternatives to Broil?
I have taken up cooking while stuck in quarantine and wanted to know if there's an alternative to broiling. I have seen plenty of recipes which recommend broiling but I don't have a broiler. Any alternatives to it? For instance, I found a good pasta recipe that suggests broiling after cooking to melt the cheese. How can I get it done without broiler. Link to the recipe- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cETpXxcAiM
Best Answer
Adjacent to Johanna's comment on the question:
If you have an oven at all, it likely has some sort of broil or grill function - per the accepted answer to this question, it might be a broiler drawer, rather than a function of the main body of the oven.
Assuming that you do have an oven, I would figure out which of those tools it uses, and then grab a cookie sheet and aluminum foil to simulate broiling, as in this article.
If you have neither an oven, nor a cookie sheet, nor aluminum foil, I'm out of helpful advice, and that torch idea starts to sound a little more appealing.
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Quick Answer about "Alternatives to Broil?"
- Roasting Trays with Wire Racks. Roasting trays are a great option as a substitution for broiling pans and probably the best one, however, it cannot be used on its own. ...
- Cast-Iron Griddle Pans. We love a good cast-iron pan! ...
- Cast-Iron Griddle Sheets. ...
- Roasting Trays. ...
- Baking Sheets. ...
- Aluminum Foil Trays.
Can I oven instead of broil?
Baking and broiling are cooking techniques that employ the dry heat of an oven. Both are considered healthy ways to cook and often used interchangeably with other cooking methods, such as roasting and toasting.Can I pan fry instead of broiling?
It's simple enough: the food is seared in a preheated, heavy-bottomed skillet in much the same way as it would under an oven broiler or over live coals on a grill. It's sometimes mistakenly called "sauteing," but the only thing it has in common with that method is the pan.Is broiling the same as baking?
Broiling is different than baking, where the food is surrounded by hot air and cooks slower. Some chefs recommend a two-step process of baking then broiling, to keep a protein like chicken moist.Can I grill instead of broil?
Some people do prefer broiling their food as they don't want their food to taste like it was cooked on the grill. A better sear. If you are looking to sear your food, then grilling is a better option. The higher heat allows the griller to get a much better sear than they would if they broiled their food.Broiler Chicken Feed Alternatives for Homesteaders - AMA S6:E3
More answers regarding alternatives to Broil?
Answer 2
You can use a torch.
Is it safe to use a propane torch bought at a Hardware store?
Answer 3
(note that in the US, 'broil' means to apply top-heat. In Australia and some other places, this is called 'grill')
So long as you have an oven with a heating element on the top, you can simply adjust the top shelf so the item to be broiled is an inch or two away from the heating element, and use that.
You will want to adjust the oven temperature as high as it will go, and leave the oven door open slightly. (or the heating element will shut off because it's gotten too hot).
If you think the bottom of whatever is being broiled is cooking too much, you can place a sheet pan (preferably shiny or light-colored, like alumnimum) on a lower shelf to shield the item from radiant heat.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Los Muertos Crew, Los Muertos Crew, Los Muertos Crew