INSIDE TIPS ON GRILLING FLAME-BROILED TASTE MEETS INDOOR EASE
© New York Daily News; New York, N.Y.; Aug 21, 2002
ISABEL FORGANG DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

If you can't stand the heat, get into your air-conditioned kitchen.

With the weather we've been having, no one wants to grill outdoors nor need you. The food that comes off today's more sophisticated indoor grill racks is a worthy substitute for the juicy burgers and charred vegetables that are backyard staples.

For Amanda Cushman, a caterer and cooking teacher, indoor grilling is the only way to go. "I love to grill but lived in a New York apartment with no balcony. I learned to grill indoors so I didn't have to give up the experience," she says. Cushman learned so well, she now gives a course on indoor grilling several times a year at Manhattan's Institute of Culinary Education.

JUST SIZZLE AND SERVE WORK.
The key to success, she says, is the heat you get from a cast- iron grill. "You can't get such intense heat from any other pan," she notes. "I don't know just what it is, but the high heat and the cast iron cause caramelization on the food that gives it the same flavor you get when you grill outdoors."

Cast-iron grills must be preheated for about five minutes. They absorb heat slowly but evenly, and once hot, retain it longer than grills made of other materials. If you're not sure whether the pan is hot enough, carefully touch a corner of the food to be cooked to the grill. If the food sizzles and immediately starts to cook, says Cushman, it's hot enough. "It's the sizzling sound that let's you know. If it doesn't sizzle, wait a few minutes longer and test again before putting anything on the grill.

"Let food cook at least four minutes," Cushman continues, "then lift a corner to see if it's browning and if sear marks appear. When the food is lightly colored and starting to firm up, turn and cook the other side."

To get the most flavor, whether you use cast iron or an electric grill, marinate the food first. Flavored oils and vinegars tenderize the meat and add flavor as well, says Yvonne Olson, Hamilton Beach product manager for electric cooking appliances. Seasoned rubs are another easy way to add flavor.

For best results, lightly pat dry the surface of the food before grilling, says Sue Cutts, Le Creuset's home economist. "Wet food often sticks to the grill because it lowers the surface temperature," she explains.

One final piece of advice: Lightly oil the ridges of your grill after it has been heating for 2-3 minutes. Even well-seasoned cast iron and nonstick electric grids will benefit. Use vegetable or corn oil, brushed on sparingly, says Cutts. Olive oil is great in a marinade but not on the grill. Put it on hot ridges and the result will be unpleasant smoking, she explains.

And if the weather is so torrid that even the thought of indoor grilling is unbearable, there is one more option. Use your microwave to heat up some Philly Homestyle Char-Broiled Beef Patties. These new precooked frozen burgers from Quaker Maid Meats even have sear marks. They go from freezer to microwave to hamburger roll to your mouth in just two minutes, and with a slice of onion and some fresh tomato, the end result is not half-bad. Best of all, the kitchen stays blissfully cool.

Grilled Pork, Tuscan-Style
Serves 6

Amanda Cushman urges trying this with boneless chicken, as well. Serve either dish with grilled bread and a green salad or a plate of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, plus additional rosemary branches for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
2 pork tenderloins, 11/2 pounds total weight, cut into 3/4-inch slices
Chicken broth, as needed

In a shallow baking pan, combine the vinegar, honey, olive oil, rosemary, garlic and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add pork; turn and let marinate at least one hour. When ready to cook, preheat stovetop cast iron grill. Drain pork from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill pork 5-8 minutes, turning once. While pork is grilling, pour marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. If there isn't enough marinade, add some chicken broth. Lower heat and simmer marinade while pork grills. Serve grilled pork with heated marinade; garnish with rosemary branches.