Broiling Steak: Broiler Pan Necessary?

Broiling steak is a great alternative to grilling, especially if you're short on time or the weather isn't cooperating. While you can use a broiling pan, it's not necessary—you can also use a cast-iron pan, roasting tray, baking sheet, or even a cookie sheet with a cooling rack. The key is to use a pan that can withstand the high heat of the broiler and allow air to circulate around the steak.

Broiler pan vs. other cookware

Broiling is a cooking method that uses direct, hot, radiant heat from the top of an oven. Broiler pans are typically made of stainless steel or aluminium, but can also be found in enameled and cast iron versions. They usually consist of two pieces: a high-walled tray and a perforated drip rack. This design allows fats and oils to drip off the food being cooked and collect in the bottom tray.

Broiler pans must be able to withstand short bursts of intense heat. This means that non-stick coatings, silicone, and glass pans are not suitable. Instead, look for bakeware that is explicitly marked as "broiler-safe". Good candidates for broiler-safe cookware include cast iron, untreated stainless steel, and disposable aluminium pans.

If you don't have a broiler pan, you can use a baking sheet or roasting pan to achieve a similar effect. To prevent the food from cooking in its own fat, place a rack at the bottom of the pan to hold the food above the drippings. For some applications, such as toasting bread or crisping pre-cooked vegetables, a baking sheet on its own will suffice. However, the broiler's high heat can cause thinner aluminium to warp.

Broiling steak vs. grilling steak

Broiling and grilling are both methods of cooking steak that use direct, hot, radiant heat. However, the heat source in broiling comes from above, whereas in grilling, the heat source comes from underneath. This makes broiling a faster and more convenient alternative to grilling, especially when it's too cold to grill outdoors or when you don't have the time to fire up the grill.

Broiling is best suited for thinner, leaner cuts of steak, such as strip steak, flank steak, or London broil. It can also be used for more marbled cuts like rib-eye or T-bone, as long as they don't exceed 1.5 inches in thickness. To broil a steak, you will need a broiler, a broiler pan or sheet pan, an instant-read thermometer, and oven mitts. The process involves preheating the broiler and the pan, seasoning the steak, and then broiling it without turning until it reaches the desired level of doneness.

On the other hand, grilling is a more traditional method of cooking steak that imparts distinct grill marks and a smoky flavour. Grills use a variety of fuel sources, such as charcoal, gas, or wood pellets, to generate heat. Grilling is suitable for thicker cuts of steak and allows for better control over the cooking temperature compared to broiling.

In terms of equipment, grilling requires a grill, which can be a significant investment, while broiling utilizes the broiler function of your oven, which is commonly included in most ovens. Additionally, broiling may produce more smoke than grilling due to the high heat involved, so proper ventilation is essential.

Both methods require close monitoring to avoid overcooking or burning the steak. Grilling may provide more opportunities for customisation and flavour enhancement through the use of different fuel sources and smoking techniques. However, broiling offers the convenience of indoor cooking and faster cooking times. Ultimately, the choice between broiling and grilling steak depends on personal preference, availability of equipment, and the desired cooking experience and flavour profile.

How to prepare your steak

Broiling is a great way to prepare steak, especially if you're looking for a quick, low-fuss method that gives you a similar taste to grilling. It's also a good option if you don't want to go outside to fire up the grill or if it's too cold to grill outdoors.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your steak for broiling:

Step 1: Choose the Right Steak

Not all steaks are created equal when it comes to broiling. Broiling works best with thinner, leaner cuts of steak, such as strip steak, flank steak, or London broil. You can also broil more marbled cuts like rib-eye or T-bone, but make sure they're no thicker than 1.5 inches.

Step 2: Gather Your Equipment

To broil a steak, you'll need a few key pieces of equipment:

• Broiler: This is usually located at the top of your oven, either as a coil in an electric oven or a burner in a gas oven.
• Broiler Pan or Sheet Pan: A broiler pan typically comes with your oven and has a grid that allows air to circulate. Alternatively, you can use a foil-lined sheet pan, which can give your steak a nice crust.
• Instant-Read Thermometer: This is crucial for checking the doneness of your steak. Get one designed for meat.
• Oven Mitts: Make sure to use oven mitts with superior heat protection, such as those made with neoprene or silicone.

Step 3: Prepare the Broiler and Broiler Pan

Position an oven rack about 5 to 6 inches away from the broiler unit and preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil and place it on the oven rack. Preheat the pan for about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Season the Steak

Rub both sides of the steak with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. You can also add other spices or rubs to suit your taste.

Step 5: Broil the Steak

Place the steak in the center of the preheated broiler pan and broil without turning. The cooking time will depend on your desired doneness and the thickness of the steak. For a medium-rare steak, broil until an instant-read thermometer registers 130°F to 135°F.

Step 6: Rest the Steak

Once the steak is done to your liking, remove it from the broiler and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and ensures a tender, juicy steak.

Step 7: Slice and Serve

After resting, place the steak on a cutting board and slice it thinly against the grain. This will ensure your steak is tender and not chewy. Serve with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!

How to choose the right broiler pan substitute

Broiling is a cooking method that uses direct heat from above, as opposed to grilling, where the heat comes from below. Broiling is usually used for meat, poultry, and fish, but fruit and vegetables can also be cooked this way.

A broiler pan is a utensil that can withstand extremely high heat. It usually consists of two pans—a shallow upper-slotted pan and a deep lower-dip section or lower-drip pan. The former holds the food and allows the drippings to drain into the lower pan, which captures the drippings.

If you don't have a broiler pan, there are several alternatives you can use:

• Roasting pan with a wire rack: The wire rack will allow any fat or grease to drain from the meat as it cooks, and the roasting pan will allow the meat to cook quickly.
• Sheet pan with aluminum foil: Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil, secure the edges, and poke holes in the foil with a fork. Arrange your food on top of the aluminum foil so that the sheet pan will catch any fat drippings.
• Cast iron pan: Cast iron pans are a great option for broiling as they are good conductors of heat and distribute it evenly.
• Baking tray with a cooling rack: Wrap a cooling rack in aluminum foil and poke holes in the foil. Place the foiled rack over a greased baking tray and put it into the top rack of your oven.

When choosing a broiler pan substitute, it's important to consider the following:

• Thickness and weight: The substitute should be thick enough to bear the weight of the food. For example, if you're broiling a large piece of steak, you may want to use a cast-iron griddle instead of a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Handles: The pan substitute should have strong, grab handles or raised sides so that you can easily pull it out of the oven.
• Non-stick and non-reactive: Your broiler pan alternative should be non-reactive, meaning it won't react with the food. Stainless steel and cast-iron pans with an enamel finish are considered non-reactive, while aluminum, non-enameled iron, and copper are reactive. You also want your cooking surface to be non-stick to simplify the cleaning process and reduce the chance of burning.
• Heat conduction: The broiler pan substitute must be a good conductor of heat since broiling requires extremely high heat.

How to test steak doneness

While there are several ways to test steak doneness, the only completely accurate way to measure it is with a thermometer. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends using a digital or dial thermometer to accurately determine if your meat is properly cooked.

The Touch Test

This test is generally best used with steak and other beef cuts. It allows you to sharpen your culinary senses by learning to feel for a cut of meat's firmness. To perform the touch test, use the flesh between your thumb and the bottom of your palm to estimate the "squishiness" that mimics meat at its various cooking stages.

Here's how it works:

• Open and relax your hand with all fingers extended. Use the index finger of your other hand to feel and add pressure to the palm directly under your thumb. You will notice there is lots of give and very little resistance. This is how the surface of meat feels when it is raw on the inside.
• Connect your thumb with your pinky on the same hand. The fleshy part under your thumb will now feel very resistant. This is how your meat feels when it is fully cooked on the inside, with no pink parts.
• Connect your thumb with the tip of your ring finger to determine medium doneness. At this point, your meat has a warm pink inside.
• For medium-rare, your meat has a warm red inside and can still be a little bloody. Connect your thumb with your middle finger; the area of your palm directly under your thumb now reflects how medium-rare should feel.
• Lastly, touch your thumb to your index finger for rare doneness. As you can feel, this firmness is very close to the original open palm position with very slight resistance.

Visual Inspection

The colour of the meat can also be used as a guide to determine its doneness.

• Rare steak has a cool-to-warm red centre and a soft, tender texture.
• Medium-rare steak, the most popular level of doneness, has a slightly warm, dark pink-red centre and is considered to have the best juiciness and texture.
• Medium steak has a pink centre surrounded by brown meat. It is completely warm and has no visible dark red in the centre.
• Medium-well steak will have a mostly brown centre with a faint pink colour in the hottest part. The meat will be much drier and chewier because the juices inside the steak will evaporate during the cooking process.
• Well-done steak is not recommended as it becomes chewy and has very little flavour. The beef loses all its natural juices, and the steak shrinks, resulting in a completely brown steak with no pink.

Time and Temperature

The time and temperature used during cooking can also be used as a guide to determine steak doneness.

• Rare: Sear on the outside at high temperatures (400°F) for a few minutes on each side, resulting in a bright red centre.
• Medium-rare: 130-134°F.
• Medium: 135-144°F.
• Medium-well: 145-154°F.
• Well-done: 155-164°F.

Note that the steak will continue to cook and the temperature will rise once it is removed from the heat source. Therefore, it is recommended to pull the steaks off the heat when the thermometer reads about 5-10°F lower than the desired doneness.

Frequently asked questions