We often hear about cooking methods such as roasting and grilling, to name a few. But you might have come across the term broiling and wonder what exactly it is.
Well, broiling and grilling are actually quite similar.
Let us start with broiling. This cooking method uses direct oven heat to quickly cook solid foods at temperatures around 289℃ (550℉). This method is applicable for meat, fish, fruits and vegetables.
Broiling is a quick cooking method that sears the food surface and is ideal for cooking thin foods. On the contrary, roasting is a slow cooking method and suitable for larger cuts of meat. But both can be used to add texture to the outermost surface of cooked food. It caramelizes the food and in doing so, imparts a distinct flavor to it.
The food must be placed in close proximity to the broiler for the heat to successfully reach and cook them. In the oven, this could be either the top or bottom rack. Grilling is the other way around, where the heat source is below, like on a barbecue grill. However, both are similar in the sense that intense heat is always involved.
Their similarity also lies in the final cooking result. Foods cooked by either of these method attain their distinct flavor from the caramelization that occurs. While the outer layer is crusty, the inside still remains moist and tender.
Now that we have clarified about the similarities and differences between broiling and roasting, let's compare it with baking. Broiling and baking both occurs in the oven and utilizes the dry heat within.
Where baked goods will be placed on the rack somewhere in the middle of the oven, broiling is done by placing food closest to the top burner aka the broiling element. This generates plenty of infrared radiation above the food.
As you might be able to guess, the difference with baking is that it is used for foods with a liquid or semi-solid structure. It is during the cooking process that the food inside needs to solidify.
In terms of its nutritional benefit, both techniques require only small amounts of added fats. It is also healthier compared to frying.
