Range Top Grilling

There are two items I find of particular necessity when daring to grill indoors: the Jaccard meat tenderizer and a Nordic Ware Pro-Cast griddle and grill. The Jaccard is a handy little tool first brought to people's attention by Emeril Lagasse on "Emeril Live," and it stuck in my memory until one was gifted to my wife and I as a wedding present by some old college friends -- who themselves have since gotten married.

The Jaccard is a well-designed, ingenious piece of culinary equipment. It's hand-held, and consists of three rows of sharp, thin blades with alternating edges. Its also has a plunger-style guillotine base that rests on the meat one desires to tenderize. Hold the end without the slots so you can read "Jaccard" upright. Press down so the base stays on top, and the blades go down through the flesh. One can use it multiple times on all surfaces to optimum effect. This works particularly well for frozen cuts. What's even better is doing this on meat that is to be marinated. It will not only tenderize the flesh, but help marinade penetrate deeper.

One word, though. Using this on a low-grade cut will not improve the meat; only make it a little more palette-able. A poor cut is still a poor cut. Remember, with meat and produce you get what you pay for. That can be said for most things; however.

The stove-top griddle and grill is another item used by Lagasse, but other mainstream chefs have opted to use them. Many prefer a built-in grill/griddle due to perceptions of uneven heating. Being a modest, amateur chef or gourmet, I have limited counter space and am forced to use an electric range for all of my creations. This means I have two large coils and two smaller coils, however each side has one of each. This means when the grill is set on the coils, the smaller coil has to be set at a higher temperature than the front for uniform grilling. On the other hand, if you are in a household as mine where the spouse and kiddies like their beef cooked to death, this can be an advantage. Pork and chicken tend to command at least a minimal amount of cooking (clear-running juices).

Fortunately, the Nordic Ware brand of grill I have is designed to distribute heat evenly; however, it also holds the heat for a long time after reducing or shutting off the heat source. The only hassle is during clean-up, as marinades, sauces and spices will quickly caramelize and burn onto the surface. This requires some soaking of the grill before final cleaning. One can wrap it in foil, but that detracts from the novelty of having grill marks on the meat. The reverse side of the Nordic Ware grill is a flat, non-textured griddle, perfect for pancakes, diner-style burgers, etc. Obviously, you'll have to pick one side or the other if some want grill marks on their burgers and others want diner-style. Or, invest in two and you can accommodate everyone's requests.

There are divots built into the corners for catching grease and residual marinade/sauce. However, keep an eye on these if grilling a particularly fatty cut of meat or -- even worse -- burger with a high fat content. Have a turkey baster handy if using high-fat meat to suck out fat or juice in the event the divots start to fill up. Nobody likes a grease fire.

If cooking a choice or prime cut of beef, nobody like it over-cooked and tough. Well, most people. I know some who will refuse to eat it if there is any pink present at all, even if the juices are running fairly clear. Because of the high level of heat retention and quick heat-up factor of the Nordic Ware, it is possible for one to thoroughly cook the outside and have an interior that is extremely rare; dare I say even raw. This is desired by many for premium cuts of salmon and tuna; not so much for pork and chicken, and only marginally by the masses. Watching Food Network may make one think people enjoy simply searing the outside of the beef and eating an interior that is still cold from the refrigerator and dripping with e.Coli-infused blood.

Naturally, health administrators around the country will advise against eating undercooked meat of any kind. The choice is yours. In my experience with Nordic Ware, having the front and back burner set at medium heat was enough to reproduce the similar grilling environment of my outside gas grill. For beef, if you have guests or family members who want theirs done more than yours, have one of the burners set considerably lower than the other. On the higher one, place their cut of meat, and put yours on the lower one. By the time their cut is done to their satisfaction, yours should be about done.

This will require timing and skill, or perhaps even an advance dry run if you've recently purchased your stove-top grill plate. Don't wait for your date to come over and try this with Porterhouse cuts for the first time. I would advise against using this plate for anything thicker than a sirloin or rib-eye, as there is no enclosed heat capture with this like you have with the hood of an outdoor grill. At least don't try it until you've mastered thinner cuts.

And always remember, even after turning off the burners, the plate will still be hot for up to an hour afterward. Don't sit metal items on there and try to pick them up right away. They will be hot. Also, watch small children around this, as if it is a new item in your culinary repertoire, a small child may recognize this and wonder what Mom or Dad has on the stove.