Grilling
Fast cooking over direct heat. What most of the world means by barbecuing, and what American barbecue specifically does not mean — a terminology collision worth knowing about before reading any recipe.
How the heat is arranged
Direct heat
Food directly above the fire. Fast, radiant, and the most effective way to drive the surface browning and char that make a steak taste like a steak — but the surface reaches its finish long before the centre of anything thick.
Fire directly below · radiant heat · lid open
What it suits — and what it doesn't
Suited to
- Thin cuts that cook through before the surface burns
- Anything wanting a hard surface char
Not suited to
- Anything thicker than roughly 4 cm
- Collagen-rich cuts, which need time rather than heat
Cookers that can do this
What it is called elsewhere
- Barbecuing — GB, AU
In British and Australian usage 'barbecue' covers what Americans call grilling.