Techniques to Step up Your Cooking with a Blow Torch

Fire is great, especially if it does nothing destructive. Although my ancestors have spent hours cooking their food above the open fire, we have eliminated the need for real flames in the modern kitchen almost completely. Unless you are lucky enough to have a gas stove, you probably never see a flicker while you "whim" things on the hob. As such, we miss all the delicious flavor profiles that come from food that makes direct contact with fire or indirectly contact with the smoke.

Are those perfectly smoky charred bits of fat around the edge of a steak disappeared, at least one cooked inside? Fortunately, you can fire your kitchen without having to deal with the soot and the associated dangers with open fire baskets. The simple kitchen torch, a necessity in every kitchen of a restaurant, can open you up for an entirely new, completely charred world. If you don't have a torch yet, get a torch for less than $30 and start fixing things.

Make a steak ready

If you use a broiler, sous vide or cooking plate to cook a good piece of meat, a small fire can only make it better. An uneven surface can make it impossible to get a good, even tear on a cut ribeye or flank steak, especially if it is bone. Instead of leaving those ugly grey areas, get the kitchen torch popped up and make them off for a perfect scorch. A few seconds of the torch on the surface can make the difference between a "blah" and badass steak"

"Grill" some vegetables

Lettuce, especially romaine, really comes to life on a grill. Unfortunately, the delicate leaves of the plant are not always resistant to the temperatures needed to prepare the rest of your meal, and it is not always practical to warm up the grill for a simple side dish. Lubricate halved hearts of romaine with olive oil and parmesan cheese, and then a few seconds until the cheese starts to become brown. The result is much more delicious than a dull salad.

Homemade Roasted Peppers

The roasted red peppers sold in the supermarket are pretty gross after having been put in a pot of water for months, but they are certainly useful. Making your own house in a gas broiler is probably the best way to roast your own red peppers, but a kitchen burner will do it almost as well in half the time, with half the clutter. Stick the pepper on the end of a grill fork and then apply the heat from the torch until the skin is black. Fire adds complexity to all kinds of peppers, which means that you also need to use char jalapenos and habaneros before mixing them with salsa and Acorn marinades.

The favorite campfire at everyone is the simplest and most perfect use of a kitchen torch. If you do not have a backyard to grill those marshmallows, insert a pair on a metal skewer and grease gently until they are completely black and bubbly. Add chocolate and graham crackers and you've made the perfect dessert.

Author's Note

The use of a kitchen torch may seem very simple, but that's not it. Yes, it's easy to click on a button, but I discovered that there is a technique to have perfectly cooked food. The key to getting the most out of your torch is by ensuring that the flame is an oxidizing flame or that the point of the flame is blue.