Cooking meat directly above the flame of a gas stove

Question

What's the easiest way of cooking meat holding it over the flame of a gas stove burner? Is there any device to help with it? How I am doing it right now is holding a skewer a couple of inches over the flame. What annoys me more is the oil dripping on the stove and having to hold it.

Answer 1

Stoves aren't grills. They're not meant to have food in contact with them. If you're doing something like warming a tortilla above it that's fine, but as soon as you mention things dripping into the flame that's a red flag, especially if it's fat. You really don't want to start a grease fire, especially one that's down in the burner.

A couple alternatives:

• use an actual gas grill, outside
• use the broiler in your oven, with a broiler pan (they have grates so the food is held above the pan)
• use a very hot skillet or a tabletop/countertop electric grill; it's not the same but it's still good!

Answer 2

Generally speaking, this is why people buy gas grills, which are not for indoor use, because open flame cooking inside is messy, smoky, and dangerous.

If you really want to apply flame directly to meat inside your house, I'd suggest buying a propane torch and a flame spreader or diffuser and cooking small pieces at a time. These kinds of torches are often used for searing and toasting, and are probably safer than trying to use a gas stove or oven.

Answer 3

That is a safety hazard and a lot of cleaning
You could get a grease fire going
Not just what is dripping off meat the grease that built up in the stove

I don't think you can safely direct flame meat in your house on regular range

Char a bell pepper over the flame is OK

There are commercial products. Not sure if there are charboilers designed for home use.

Answer 4

It's possible that you might be able to pull this off, but it's quite hazardous.

If my only heat source was a gas burner, I'd start it off in a pan of water, pricking the sausage in a few places, so that you can render some of the fat and have it leak out.

If you're willing to cook it in the pan, just wait until the water boils off, then keep rolling them around to crisp up the skin.

It you still want to cook it over an open flame, I'd first try to render off the fat in the water, then work over the flame. If you have something heat-safe that's narrow, I'd fill it with water and try to roast over the container so that the fat drips into the water, not the stove.

Another alternative would be to use some alternate fuel source -- sterno, white gas, high-proof alcohol, etc.

If you don't have any of those, and really want to cook over the gas burner (which I wouldn't suggest), I'd keep a plate with some paper towels in it over on the side of the burner, so if I saw it look like it was getting too glossy (from oils), I could roll it on the paper to get most of the oils off.

I'd also beware of cooking over too hot of a flame, as that can lead to the side bursting and lots of juices running out suddenly. And keep a fire extinguisher around if you're going to be taking these sort of risks.

Answer 5

Putting food you'd like to cook in the oven or broiler is just not the same as it being grilled over an open flame. There's something called a kitchen stove grill that you can use to place over your stove's burner. It uses induction heat transfer and is as close to indoor grilling you can get. They sell them in many retail stores.

Answer 6

It's actually fine, I do this quite a bit. I put the meat on a metal rack and I lay aluminum foil around the stove so it's easier to clean.

But the key is you don't want to grill the meat directly over the flame for too long because what you actually want is that bit of flame grilled taste, and it's when the drippings hit the flame that this happens. Because your meat is so close to the fire, 30sec - 1 min on each side is enough to create this effect. If you burn the meat for too long the stove will get messy, the meat will get too charred ...which is unhealthy and why would you even do that? it's easier on a pan or in the oven, that's why they are invented, so you don't have to cook over a fire.

For example when I cook steak, I will grill it in the pan like you normally do, then when it's just slightly under I place it on a metal rack over the stove ...with the fire on === LOW === for 1 min each side, this is all you need.

Also clean the stove every time you use it this way, you don't want oil and drippings building up.

Answer 7

I think everyone keeps talking about the oil dripping. What is more dangerous here is the carbon monoxide on the gas fireplace. It is very toxic and harmful, so do not burn your meat over a gas fireplace; use wood instead if you grilled it the better.