I'd always sort of assumed it was because the recipe writers had magnificent Viking or KitchenAid prosumer ranges with 15K+ BTU burners, not pokey 8K-9K BTU bur

I'd always sort of assumed it was because the recipe writers had magnificent Viking or KitchenAid prosumer ranges with 15K+ BTU burners, not pokey 8K-9K BTU burners like my more modest kitchen sports.