{"id":4026,"date":"2012-06-19T18:00:12","date_gmt":"2012-06-19T16:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/?p=4026"},"modified":"2012-06-19T20:00:33","modified_gmt":"2012-06-19T18:00:33","slug":"top-five-tips-for-grilling-indoors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/19\/top-five-tips-for-grilling-indoors\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Five Tips for Grilling Indoors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve been living in Italy for 9 years. Every year I\u2019ve further blended the culture I was born into with the one I now live in. One of the things I miss the most about living in the United States is barbecue. Italians do do barbecue (check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/15\/a-perfect-barbecue-in-italy\/\">what makes a great Italian barbecue here<\/a>) but most people don\u2019t live in single family houses or apartments with enough space for an outside grill.<\/p>\n<p><center><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.blogher.com\/files\/IndoorGrillingShrimp.jpg?w=465\" alt=\"Grilled Shrimp\"  \/><\/center>A few years ago I bought a cast iron grill pan so I could bring grilling home to my tiny Italian apartment, and I use it a lot, especially in the summer. If you don\u2019t have space for a big outside grill, or want a quick alternative to use when cooking for just a few people, I heartily recommend grilling indoors.<\/p>\n<p>Grilling can be just as good indoors as it is outdoors\u2014here are my tips to get you started with your perfect indoor grill!<\/p>\n<p><script language=\"JavaScript1.1\" src=\"http:\/\/oascentral.blogher.org\/RealMedia\/ads\/adstream_jx.ads\/ReviewBadge\/OID3036_AnheuserBusch_ReviewBadges_Editorial_012\/@x13\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>1. Keep ventilated<\/h3>\n<p>Your grill is going to produce smoke, and you\u2019ll need to keep the area you\u2019re working in ventilated so the smoke has a good escape route. I turn on the stove fan full blast, open a window, and, if it\u2019s not raining, open my skylight as well to let the smoke out (the last one is the most effective\u2014smoke rises). If you have a house fan, this would be a good time to employ it.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Know your grill<\/h3>\n<p>Every grill is different and you\u2019ll want to pay special attention to its care so it will last you a long time. I\u2019ve had my grill pan for five years, and it isn\u2019t showing any signs of wear and tear.<\/p>\n<p><center><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.blogher.com\/files\/IndoorGrillingPan.jpg?w=465\" alt=\"Grill Pan\"  \/><\/center>If you can, get a cast iron grill pan with raised ridges like the one pictured here. It will get seasoned with use as time goes on, and will develop better grilling flavor. The ridges will help drain the fat away from what\u2019s grilling as well. Read its specific care instructions and don\u2019t use soap to clean it. Most cast iron grills have the added option of being able to go into the oven for a nice finish, or to broil there directly.<\/p>\n<p>Another option is the contact grill, which folds on top of itself and grills the item from both sides. I like the simple grill pan because you have a little more flexibility, and it takes up way less space, which again, is part of the reason you\u2019re grilling indoors! If you have a non-stick grilling surface, take extra care not to scratch its surface with metal utensils (the cast iron grill won\u2019t care, which is another point in its favor).<\/p>\n<h3>3. Heat it up<\/h3>\n<p>One of the biggest lessons I\u2019ve learned while cooking is get proper heat before adding your ingredients to cook, and don\u2019t mess with things much once you do. Those lovely grill marks appear if and when they\u2019re given time to develop, and excessive turning will keep them from marking your well-grilled food.<\/p>\n<p>I also wipe a little oil (olive oil for me, but use what you have) to rub down the grill before I put anything on it. There are two schools of thought about whether to oil the meat or oil the grill, and some will debate which technique is better. I usually opt for both, depending on what I\u2019m grilling.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Weighty options<\/h3>\n<p>Just like on an outside grill, you may want to apply some weight to what you\u2019re grilling so it is touching the grill evenly and in more contact points (which will also help the food grill faster). The trick is to make sure you have something that won&#8217;t warp, melt, or otherwise get damaged by the heat.<\/p>\n<p>A rudimentary weight can be a smooth rock you wash and then wrap in aluminum foil so no part of it actually touches your food (change the aluminum foil each time). There are also weights made specifically for grilling.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Mix it up<\/h3>\n<p>While I\u2019m only showing meat in these pictures, I often grill vegetables on my indoor grill, too! I grilled zucchine for an at-home aperitivo, and eggplant slices, too. I also think skewers and kabobs are a lot of fun indoors and I like to pair a simple shrimp or beef skewer with a leafy salad and a detox salad like the one pictured to keep things light.<\/p>\n<p><center><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.blogher.com\/files\/IndoorGrillingBeef.jpg?w=465\" alt=\"Grilled Beef Skewer\"  \/><\/center><strong>Do you grill indoors? Share your tips below for those interested in experimenting with indoor grilling!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>This post is part of the BlogHer Light &amp; Fresh Summer Grilling series, which is a sponsored post, and is made possible by Michelob ULTRA Light Cider and BlogHer. All content, photos, and opinions in this post are 100% mine. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><script language=\"JavaScript1.1\" src=\"http:\/\/oascentral.blogher.org\/RealMedia\/ads\/adstream_jx.ads\/ECU\/OID3036_AnheuserBusch_ECU_515_112\/@x13?exclude_url=\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve been living in Italy for 9 years. Every year I\u2019ve further blended the culture I was born into with the one I now live in. One of the things I miss the most about living in the United States is barbecue. Italians do do barbecue (check out what makes a great Italian barbecue here)&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/19\/top-five-tips-for-grilling-indoors\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2,101],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4026","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-food","7":"category-italy","8":"category-tips","9":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4uB1-12W","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6477,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/13\/a-summer-bucket-list-and-a-whole-30-summer-salad\/","url_meta":{"origin":4026,"position":0},"title":"A Summer Bucket List, and a Whole 30 Summer Salad","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"June 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Yeah, Summer! Want to be pen pals? I'm bringing back snail mail! I'd love to hear from you - a picture, post card, thought, question, photo, design, whatever you like! Send it my way and I'll send something back. https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BUxE1dLg6v2\/?taken-by=rossosara Sara Rosso P.O. Box 1058 Santa Clara, CA. 95052 Also,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entree&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Entree","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/recipe\/entree\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Summer Fresh Salad, Ms. Adventures in Italy, by Sara Rosso","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SummerFreshSalad.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SummerFreshSalad.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SummerFreshSalad.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SummerFreshSalad.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SummerFreshSalad.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":622,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/15\/a-perfect-barbecue-in-italy\/","url_meta":{"origin":4026,"position":1},"title":"A Perfect Barbecue in Italy","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"May 15, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Barbecuing in Italy I have found to be less concentrated on the food and marinades, and more about staying outside and being together while eating fresh, simple food. Some ingredients for a perfect barbecue in Italy: Plenty of pane e pomodoro, bread and tomatoes, the most addictive form of crack\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Culture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/italy\/italian-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eating pane e pomodoro in Puglia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2315\/2493475711_9c3768cd52.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6434,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/16\/a-brief-stop-and-bites-in-detroit\/","url_meta":{"origin":4026,"position":2},"title":"A Brief Stop and Bites in Detroit","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"May 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A few months ago I was in Detroit for work, helping small businesses get online at WordPress.com, and while we were there, we were able to meet and eat at local small businesses.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Discovering Food&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Discovering Food","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/discovering-food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Slows Bar B Q, Detroit, Ms. Adventures in Italy, by Sara Rosso","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":393,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/09\/24\/pasta-alla-norma-and-welcome-to-sicily\/","url_meta":{"origin":4026,"position":3},"title":"Pasta alla Norma and Welcome to Sicily","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"September 24, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Wait, we're in Sicily already! 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Our friends, a Sicilian couple living in Milan, picked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entree&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Entree","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/recipe\/entree\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A summer terrace in Sicily","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1156\/1431764100_3730bb2560.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4449,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/08\/2012-year-in-review-in-pictures\/","url_meta":{"origin":4026,"position":4},"title":"2012 Year in Review in Pictures","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"January 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I started my Year in Review in Pictures in 2009 (2011's review,\u00a02010\u2018s review,\u00a02009\u2018s review) as a complement to my stats-heavy Year in Review full of tools, sites, and statistics I started in 2006 (here's 2011 - 2012's coming soon). 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