That's a baked cheese, my friend. Of course, I usually pan-fry mine, not exactly grilled either I suppose...
this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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Grilled Cheese
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Depends on how you define grilling.
The general definition is just the even application of heat to the surface of the food, from one direct side.
This fits the use of griddles, pans, and grills, since they are all directional. You could make an argument it includes a broiler as well, and I wouldn't argue.
When you use non directional heating, like a oven, an air fryer, or similar, it breaks the standard. So would using another medium like water or oil that isn't part of what's being grilled. That last bit is nitpicky on the surface, but the surface is the point lol. When you apply the oil to the pan, it's frying or pan roasting. When the oil/butter/mayo is on the food, it's part of what's being grilled, rather than a medium of transfer.
Now, there are other definitions of grilling which exclude anything being in between the heat source and the food. This invalidates pans, but not always griddles, as griddles can be the heat source via electricity.
Indeed, there are definitions which exclude any heat source other than fire as grilling, even when grills/gridirons are being used over the heat source. So no electric or infrared would count by that standard.
Which isn't as relevant with a grilled cheese, since the most basic form of that heavenly food is cooked on pan or griddle by default.
But, an air fryer? Stretches the terminology too far. An air fryer is just a toaster oven with a fan. That's indirect heating from around the food.
Pshaw to the air fryer! Pshaw, I say!
Lol, that's a giant fucking wall of text for a grilled cheese discussion, but I get it, you're passionate! All I have to contribute is that I butter the bread if the butter is room temp, otherwise I melt it in the pan and then grill. But they're the same process, imo. The bread still soaks up the butter and gets grilled, it's not just "a medium of transfer". If I was half-submerging it in cooking oil, then yeah, that's a different process. Maybe it comes down more to amount of oil.
No grill = no grilled cheese ;)
How did it compare to pan fried?
It was about 3 times crunchier on the outside compared to when I've used a pan! The only other big differences were that it wasn't pressed down the way I would in the pan, and it was less greasy. I will definitely do this again, but next time I might pick a less chewy bread