If you're newer to cooking, you may have failed to realize yet that not all parts of your oven are created equal. When a recipe specifies a certain oven rack position, you ignore it at your peril . The heating element of your oven is located at the bottom, and certain foods need to be positioned closer or further from the heat in order to cook properly.
A common example is how a cake should always be baked on the center oven rack . But what about your oven's broiler? The broiler can seem a little scary to amateur chefs. It's temperamental — walk away from it too long, and your food will be burnt to a crisp.
It doesn't even cook most foods through! Why is it hot on the top instead of the bottom? Mastering broiling is a cooking skill that pays big dividends, however. Broiling is the key to color and texture on a lot of dishes, and is the ideal step for putting the finishing touches on your dinner. Here's the first thing you need to know about broiling: You need to place your food on the top rack, as close to the ceiling of the oven as possible, to broil effectively and get even, crispy char.
For better broiling, bop to the top If you're looking to take your broiler game up a notch , you need to know how your oven works. While the normal settings on your oven generate heat from the bottom that you can control with the thermostat, the broiler generates a blast of intense heat from the top. Some ovens allow for high or low broiling; others simply have one broil function.
The bro.