BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?

Subject: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Alice
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:57 PM

A debate among friends. I was raised to leave the oven door open when you broil. A friend from France always closes the oven door when broiling.
And you?

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:59 PM

Open, always.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Melissa
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:01 PM

closed..but I usually end up opening the door so I can watch the stuff broil, so I guess my answer would be 'Yes'

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:09 PM

Open, according to the booklet I got with the stove.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 09:11 PM

Mom always did it with the oven door open, so that must be right. Trouble is, that sets off the smoke alarm, which Mom didn't have in her day - so I use the barbecue and the toaster oven instead of the broiler in the oven.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 09:17 PM

OPEN!

There are gas stoves with special broiler drawers that need to be closed, but if you're using the oven, it must stay open.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Amos
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 10:12 PM

Why?


A

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 10:21 PM

Closed to preheat and MAYBE for the first minute or two, but usually open at least a crack and sometimes all the way open.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 10:34 PM

Oh. That must be where I've gone wrong all these years. I do it closed....but then I only broil tomatoes and green chiles. I'd really RATHER do them outside on the grill but sometimes I can't.

Wind, blizzard, etc.

I don't have a smoke alarm either, but I can SEE the smoke! LOL!That's when we open all the house doors and turn on the floor fans. Works pretty good except the dogs can escape out the open doors....

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 01:28 AM

Because!

Every woman cook I know (home ec teachers, and my mother, in particular) said this was the way to do it. Fire hazards, primarily, is what I understood.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: GUEST,cheframsay
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 02:19 AM

because if the door is closed you are roasting instead of broiling

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 04:07 AM

OPEN. ABSOLUTELY:

Because broiling is supposed to be heating by radiant heat. In this process the surface is heated on the side exposed to the burner/coil, while the rest of the victim is surrounded by cooler (not exactly cool, but ...) air. This gives a nice crisp "skin" on the side facing the heat, but gives slow penetration of heat to the innards for a tender and juicy main body of the meat.

If you close the door (unless it's one of the new-fangled vented designs) all of the air in the oven heats up, and you're baking instead of broiling.

There's nothing wrong with either method, but to be pedantically correct, if the door is open¹ you're broiling; but if the door is shut you're baking with the top heater.

¹ The real dividing line would be that to broil you need a "heater" hot enugh to radiate (450-500F/230-260C usually works nicely), with surrounding air cool enough to avoid rapid heating of the core of the meat. Depending on what you're cooking, an air temp above about 140-160F (60-70C) may result in a noticeably tougher finished meal, especially with beef. Pork is usually a little less sensitive to rapid heating, and with some poultry it's hard to tell much difference.

Similar differences may be found with other cooking methods, although only the "real pro" is likely to be finicky about the distinctions.

e.g. "To sauté" really is not the same as to "fry," and stewing is different than parboiling (or steaming); although most people don't much care about the difference if they can stuff a dead critter someplace where there's heat to the meat.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 02:22 PM

Open, for the reasons listed by JiK. My oven has a door 'stop' that keeps it open about eight inches for broiling.

If you are setting off the smoke alarms, U R Doin it Rong! The meat shouldn't be charring/smoking, but browning nicely without any smoke coming off it. My oven has low and high broiler settings, and I use the low for most meats, and I've never had the smoke alarm go off. the toaster, however, will set off the smoke alarm now and then.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 02:31 PM

Just a word of explanation...

US Broiling - UK grilling

UK barbequing = US grilling

Confusing eh?

In the UK you can usualy 'broil' on a seperate grill. The 1960s and 70s say a spate of 'eye level' grills which were completely exposed and above the rings of a cooker. So, from our point of view - Yes, door always open.

Hope this helps. Or not.

Cheers

dave

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Peace
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 02:33 PM

If you have the door close, you are baking.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 03:24 PM

Another term was mentioned: "roasting."

Even in the US that's one with multiple semi-meanings.

Householders who cook indoors often use the term for what amounts to "baking meat."

Those who incinerate innocent road kill outdoors sometimes use the term to mean "cooking by radiant heat (broiling here, when done indoors) on a rotating spit."

Others, esp. of the latter persuasion, use the term only to mean "cooking a bird with a beer can up it's a..."

As with many activities¹ where much misinformation comes from "friends" it's probably useless to try to be too pedantic about the terminology. Although it will likely be poorly done by many, regardless of what it's called, and sometimes quite well performed by those who use variant names and processes, as long as the participants have fun and are satisfied it can be worth doing.

¹ Folk Music and sex come immediately to mind.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 04:09 PM

As a retired appliance salesguy, allow me my 2Cents.

Roasting and baking (in America) are basically the same process. It is called roasting for solid things as meats and potatoes; baking for liquid things, cakes, pies, breads. Those terms are occasionally interchangeable, I guess. In this process the food is air heated, and does not have contact with a direct flame. For roasting/baking the door must be closed, else the oven could not hold the proper cooking temperature.

Broiling, on the other hand, has the food place directly, usually under the flame or electric heat rods. Usually the food broiled is a meat. In gas broilers one usually has the door/drawer closed, but in electric oven/broilers the door is slightly ajar.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 05:21 PM

Good broiling is achieved by the heat setting and the distance from the coils. And the door MUST be open. It 'is' possible some light smoke or odor will escape, but a decent exhaust fan will deal with it. (My wife is quite sensitive to any smoke & odors...even when I barely notice them.)

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: artbrooks
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 05:48 PM

Closed...unless you like broiled cat.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Peace
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 07:28 PM

OK. Thanks for that info. If you have the door closed, be on the OUTside of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 08:27 PM

Broiled cat? No good unless you gut and skin them first.
Most smoke alarms have batteries you can remove temporarily. I always end up with smoke, and it's not the meat, it's the drips.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 11:37 PM

I use drip pan with foil on it down below when drips are likely.....well, when I remember.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Slag
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 01:38 AM

Our old oven, growing up, had a stop built into it that would allow the door to stand open about 3 inches for broiling (electric oven). The same for my grandmother's wood burner. The newer ovens' literature says to close the door even when broiling. In fact the oven we have now will turn OFF if you open the door. This is because they now have fans and ducting inside them and for Safety's sake, I suppose. I hate that as I have ALWAYS broiled with the door slightly open.

Frying is generally at a lower temperature than sauteing. Sauteed is quick and hot!

A real Barbecue is low heat with the goods 18" to 24" above on a grill. Cooks for hours before ready. MMMmmmMMM!

Grill is a couple of inches above the coals and done in a short time.
Hibachi is grilling over and even hotter fire. The searing helps seal the juices in..

When you Barbecue a bird you can stick a can of beer in it with a couple of icepick holes in the top for slow steam and a very tender and moist bird. Works with and apple and an onion together for really great flavor.

I love sauteed mushrooms and this is how I fix them. All fresh ingredients. Pick mushrooms in which the gills have not yet opened. About a pound and a half or a kilo. A medium yellow onion and your favorite herbs, if so inclined. Open a GOOD bottle of a big red wine. Have a glass then pour another and set aside. First chop and saute the onions in vegetable oil (with a little butter or olive oil too) almost to the point where they caramelize. Set them aside. Your mushrooms should have the bottom 1/4", 5mm stem cut off and then sliced about the same in thickness. Let it vary.

In the same pan 1/8 pound (half a stick) of butter and cook down the mushrooms. You may need to add a little oil. When they are starting to brown add the onions back in and crank the heat up a little. When they really start browning well pour in that glass of wine and saute until reduced and most of the liquid is gone. Take 'em off and enjoy as a topping for steaks or by themselves. Mighty good!

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: mrdux
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 02:20 AM

The real reason for leaving the door open on an electric stove when broiling has to do with the oven thermostat. Broiling depends on continuous radiant heat. If the door is closed, the oven compartment will heat up to the point at which the thermostat will turn off the heating element. If the door is left open, the oven never reaches the cut-off temperature, so the heating element stays on through the entire broiling process. Or so my mother explained to me when I was a young and inquisitive sprat.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 08:02 AM

Very informative for a change. It's about time I learned how to broil.

What do you call the process if you spray the meat with napalm?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: artbrooks
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 09:28 AM

Crispy critters, Charlie.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 10:19 AM

Broiling, roasting, baking-- BAH. Put it in there, take it out at the right moment, and eat it! It's an intuitive thing.

What we do is COOKING, with gas when possible. :~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 01:59 PM

My oven door has that stop to keep it open, too. Every oven with a broiler that I've used has that auto stop on the door to keep it open a few inches.

Subject: RE: BS: Broiling... Oven door open? closed?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 04:05 PM

I was really confused at first because my oven stops working if you open it but now that I have had broiling explained I can say - open! But I don't grill in my oven :-)