October 8, 2021

3 Easy Tips for Preparing Fresh Proteins for Perfect Flame Broiling

Your Simple Guide to Perfect Broiling Prep

A Nieco Automatic Broiler allows you to optimize labor resources by automating your standard cooking processes, like cooking juicy, delicious proteins with perfect grill marks. What can you cook in a Nieco? Nieco broilers perfectly cook fast casual and gourmet-style burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fish, shrimp, pork, steak, lamb, kabobs, ribs, vegetables, fruits and more.

Nieco recipe timing is based on the time in seconds it takes to pass from feed to discharge. The temperature remains steady, cooking from both top and bottom at the same time.

Speed your service by slashing the cooking time of many dishes by up to 50%, while increasing customer satisfaction with super fast turn times and consistently delicious products.

You’ll also free your valuable staff for other more skilled tasks without compromising quality. Set the machine properly, then place the prepared product on the belt, and the broiler does most of the work. Rapid, consistent, automated cooking is time and money saved for your business.

Some simple planning and food prep helps optimize the final product. A standard weight, shape and fat content allows you to program the recipe for a perfect outcome every time, reducing waste and speeding tickets through your kitchen, for supremely satisfied customers.

1) Weigh-in

Your products should have a similar or identical weight so that they cook fully in the recipe time.

Tips for Burgers

For ground meats, use a precision scale to attain consistent weight. For burgers, common sizes are 1/4 lb or 4 oz, 1/3 lb or 6 oz, and 1/2 lb or 8 oz burgers. Simply place a patty paper on the scale, and add or remove ground protein until you achieve the perfect weight. Use your hands to shape meat into a tight ball. Repeat for your batch.

Tips for Steak or Chops

Select cuts of a standard size and weight for each recipe. A consistent thickness and dimension will help you dial in that perfect timing for any doneness

2) Shape it up

Having a consistent shape and thickness helps attain the perfect product temperature at the end of your cook time, regardless of the protein type. Keep an eye on the consistency of the shape as you trim. Areas that are too thin may overcook, while areas that are too thick may be under-done.

Tips for Burgers

After ensuring consistent weight and shaping into a ball, use a plate or sheet pan to smash your burgers to an even thickness. A dough docker can be used to prevent curling.

Tips for Chicken:

For muscle meats like chicken breasts, use a knife to remove the tenderloin and butterfly to create an even thickness. Smaller/thinner areas can be trimmed to cook separately.

For chicken thighs, we like to use the knife to “unroll” the thigh to an even thickness. A mallet can be used for  breasts and thighs as desired. The intent  is to ensure that the thickness of the meat is consistent so that all portions cook at the same rate.

Tips for Shrimp

Remove tail, clean, and de-vein. To prepare for broiling, arrange shrimp on a wooden skewer, taking care to ensure the wood is completely covered with the shrimp to avoid flaming or burning. Alternately, shrimp may be broiled whole in the shell.

Best practice: 3 shrimp are threaded on a soaked wooden skewer, to reduce flaming and cook evenly Lower row: 2 shrimp are unevenly threaded on an exposed wooden skewer

Tips for Seafood

For delicate proteins, you can use a trimmed piece of oiled parchment under the fish, on the belt. Tender, flaky fish, broiled to perfection.

3) Fat and Fat Content

The amount and quality of fat in a cut or grind can affect the flavor and texture of your products. With a little preparation, you can make your choice work well for you.

Tips for Burgers

For ground beef, we recommend a 80/20 blend for a juicy, delectable burger, that is not too dry or too greasy. The high heat of the broiler renders a perfect juicy bite with visible grill marks and a signature flavor.

Tips for Other Meats

Trim most visible fat, or tendons to avoid curling, flaming or uneven cooking.

Now you’re ready to season and cook!

Great Flexibility, Superior Service

Nieco works with our customers to optimize their menus, maximize kitchen layouts, and ultimately to simplify their kitchen labor needs with consistent product output.

Because Nieco hand-builds each broiler in our Windsor, California facility, you can be assured that the needs of your kitchen operation are considered.  Thoughtful design features and options available keep your kitchen humming along at a brisk and profitable clip. We will help you get dial in your recipes to come out perfect in half the time.