A grill.

[naijahorn]

It seems that I need to learn how to cook. Is it possible to get an indoors sort of grill that I can do extensive meat work on? Forgive the amazing ignorance of this post.

 

[goofybevo]

In reply to:

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[naijahorn]

well I wanted to start with the easy stuff.

 

[Woland]

Is there a particular reason you have chosen to learn this skill at this particular time? Why do you want to learn to cook? I ask the question, because there are many answers.

 

[idigTexas]

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[naijahorn]

Eating out 90% of the time has become rather prohibitive.

 

[washparkhorn]

Contact griddles will give you the nice carmalized burn marks you would get on an outdoor grill.

I have a Cuisinart Griddler that I use on snowy or cold days, when I can't light charcoal. You won't have that nice smoky flavor, but it is not a bad substitute and gives me as much flavor as most gas grills.

The other drawback (other than having a different flavor from charcoal cooking) is the steaming effect of these tight cooking surfaces. The food is less "crispy" because of the steam.

Good luck with cooking. I love it as relaxation. Check out Alton Brown's show on the Food Network ("Good Eats") and "America's Test Kitchen" on PBS. Both explain the science behind food, which makes it a little understandable for me.

 

[Woland]

I would advise getting a chef's knife, a cutting board, and a skillet. Moving beyond an electric grill, I think you will build your skills fastest by learning how to cook in a skillet. I heard someone say the other day that the most basic of cooking skills is sauteing a chicken breast. You can pick up some cheap cook books at Half-price Books.

 

[Boozehound]

I agree, a skillet (I prefer nonstick or stainless), a forged chef's knife (calphalon makes a reasonably priced 8"), and a cutting board should be where to start along with the aforementioned show Good Eats. You can do a lot in a single skillet that you can't do on an indoor grill. You might also consider a digital probe thermometer with alarm if you're just learning how to cook...

A good book to read would be "What Einstein Told his Cook" - it answers a bunch of cooking questions with science.

 

[jimmyjazz]

Lodge cast iron griddle/grill

You can order these reversible Lodge grill/griddles in either the traditional raw cast iron finish or "pre-seasoned" (which I recommend). I also recommend that you don't try to sear meat if you don't have a capable vent hood.

 

[naijahorn]

thanks for the replies. will get started on the burning of various food substances.

 

[Woland]

Good Eats is great, and I also think Everyday Italian is good for the nuts and bolts of cooking. An added perk is that Giada is not unpleasant to look at.

 

[politically correct horn]

In my previous house, the fireplace in the den had a cooking grate. I used it a couple of times but it worked just fine if you wanted to grill something.

 

[7Titles]

Electric is not the only indoor option. I have seen gas ranges with a grill on the top. Of course I doubt you want to buy a new range with a serious oven vent as well.

 

[NickDanger]

Yeah, they have them, but they suck. I have a fancy schmancy stove with 6 burners and a grill. The vent I have is pretty stout so the smell isn't horrific, but it's impossible to cook anything unless you put a pot over it to hold some heat in. Not recommended by me. The indoor grill in a stove, that is. I had a Jenn-Aire with a grill many years back and it was the same deal. No heat. Plus the vent sucked in that it didn't suck well.