CHAPTER SEVENRemove one piece of meat from the oil and lay it on several
thicknesses of paper towels. Pat the top and sides of the
meat with additional paper towels to remove excess oil.
Remove the paper towels and place the meat on a large
landscaping stone. Use a handheld torch to brown any
edges of the meat that are still pink, especially the edges
formed by the top and side of the meat. Th e torch can also
be used to create golden brown areas on any visible fat or
connective tissues on the top and sides of the meat.
GRILL MARKS
Th is grilling technique will work for nearly all foods
that need to have a grilled appearance. Grill marks can
actually perk up the appearance of foods that are not
normally interesting or attractive to the eye.If you plan to make grill marks on the hero meat,
you need to have a clear vision of the pattern the marks
will make. Test your grill mark techniques and pattern
for the marks on a stand-in piece of meat. Grill marks
should approximate a natural mark made by cooking
on a grill. Th e marks can be parallel or more complex
with a cross-hatch pattern. If you choose a cross-hatch
pattern, keep in mind they can get busy looking to camera.
Cross-hatch pattern grill marks are more interesting if
made at oblique angles, rather than at perpendicular
angles.Grill marks can be made using an electric charcoal starter.
Th ese devices have a long oval heating element loop
attached to a handle; however, the grill marks they make
are often too wide for photography. It is possible to cus-
tomize an electric charcoal lighter so the heating element
is not as wide. If you want the option of using an electric
charcoal lighter as a means to make grill marks, I would
recommend you contact a professional metal worker to
customize the tool. I prefer this method, and my father
customized a charcoal lighter for me many years ago and