My back yard grill was on its last leg. So the other day while I was in my local home improvement store’s garden center, I wandered over to look at some new ones. I came across an “infrared grill” and couldn’t imagine how it would work. After a little research, I quickly learned why this type of grill is such a popular choice.
How do you like your steak?
Mary Ann’s new grill of choice is the Char-Broil® Tec® Series infrared grill.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of Char-Broil, LLC
Infrared use has been around for ages. It’s the main reason why we enjoy a great seared steak at a fancy restaurant or when cooked on a well-prepared charcoal fire. Infrared grills have actually been in the marketplace for a number of years, all priced in the thousands of dollars. But the patent recently lapsed on the original infrared technology used for grilling, leading to a flood of more affordable infrared grills now showing up on the market.
The concept of infrared radiant energy is still a mystery to a lot of people, including me. Here’s what I learned:
First, it’s not nuclear radiation. While it works a little like a microwave, it doesn’t have to be electric. It works more like the sun and is actually among our most widely experienced sources of energy. You may already be familiar with infrared and not even know it: Two examples of it are the warmth of the sun and the intense cooking capacity of glowing charcoal. Infrared energy is transferred directly from its source to the object being heated. Everyday the Earth is warmed by radiant energy from the sun, and glowing charcoal produces this same molecular activity in food.
Which leads me to my second point: Infrared energy is extremely beneficial in cooking because it doesn’t dry food out the way hot air does. The scientific reason for this is that in nature, everything’s surrounded by a boundary of stagnated molecules of air and water. Infrared can penetrate this boundary without disturbing it, directly transferring the energy to food with minimum moisture loss. In comparison, hot air can’t deliver its energy to food without displacing this boundary layer, so it drains natural juices and dries out our food. (So long, juicy steak!)
Since glowing coals radiate energy, they cook food with very little drying effect. And as the juices that do escape drop onto the coals, they’re vaporized into that aromatic smoke that permeates our food with that great outdoor grilled taste.
There are so many brands of infrared grills out on the market now. It’s important you take the time to understand the technological differences between each when choosing your own. I selected one from the Char-Broil® Tec® Series. After doing the research, learning about infrared technology, making my purchase and bringing it home, I’m anxious to finally try my new grill out! So please excuse me – I’m off to grill a steak and pretend I’m at Morton’s.
Happy Grilling!
