Turn the Dial to Broil

by Mark R. Vogel

So ixnay to the on-the-bone chicken breast. Do boneless breasts instead. Conversely, if the piece of food is too thin, you'll obliterate it. Stay under an inch in thickness but not as thin as a cutlet.

Of course, this all depends on the quality of your oven. I've cooked in ovens that had a wimpy broiler. The food never develops that sear like you obtain on a grill or by sautéing.

If your kitchen is vitiated by such an oven, use an alternative method. Searing the food creates strong flavor. A broiler that falls short in the heat intensity department will shortchange your taste buds.

The basic broiling method is such. First, make sure your broiler has completely preheated. Why? See the previous paragraph. Next, lightly brush the food with oil.

This will add flavor, help prevent sticking, and facilitate the production of a uniform sear. Then season the food with salt, pepper, or whatever other spices you plan to use.

If you're not planning on making a sauce from whatever drippings accrue in the pan, you can cover the broiler pan with aluminum foil for easy cleaning. Place the food in the pan and then into the broiler.

Keep a close eye on it. As soon as the first side is browned, flip it. The second side will not take as long as the first since the food is partially cooked at this stage. Remove when the second side has browned and chow down.

BROILED PORK CHOPS WITH HARICOT VERT

Haricot Vert are tender French string beans. Use regular string beans if your supermarket doesn't carry them.