The present invention relates to a device and a method for cooking food on
a grill having opposed upper and lower platens wherein a gap spacing
between the platens is adjusted in an initial stage and in subsequent
stages of the cooking time for the meat. The method includes causing the
food to be located between two opposed platens, the opposed platens each
having opposed cooking surfaces and the opposed cooking surfaces defining
a gap spacing that is adjustable, and adjusting the gap spacing between
the platens so that during an initial stage of the cooking the gap
spacing is equal to or less than the nominal initial uncooked thickness
of the food, and during one or more subsequent stages of the cooking,
after the initial stage, the gap spacing between the platens is varied.