19th C.: When cold, sprinkle the custard thickly with sugar and salamander it. — a 19th century crème brûlée recipe quoted in Richard Daunton-Fear and Penelope Vigar, Australian Colonial Cookery, Rigby, 1977, ISBN 0-7270-0187-6, page 41.
1977: The salamander, a fairly long metal utensil with a flat rounded head, was left in the fire until red hot and then used to brown the top of a dish without further cooking. — Richard Daunton-Fear and Penelope Vigar, Australian Colonial Cookery, Rigby, 1977, ISBN 0-7270-0187-6, page 41 (discussing 19th century cookery).
The chef first put the steak under the salamander to sear the outside.