Barbecue Safely for Your Health

Who doesn’t like the taste of barbecue?  Unfortunately, it is not the healthiest way of cooking.  The fat from the meat drips down into the fire, sending up heterocyclic amines, also known as HCAs, a compound that has been linked with cancer.  It really doesn’t matter what animal protein you’re cooking.  At high temperatures these HCAs are created.  And the longer a meat sits on the fire, the more HCAs are created.  (Thankfully, I like my meat very rare!)  With chicken taking longer to cook than other meats, it can have even higher levels of HCAs.

I’m not suggesting you give up barbecued meat.  Summer just wouldn’t be the same without it.  But there are some things you can do to decrease the amount you ingest.

1.  Marinate your meat before grilling it.  Not only does it help tenderize the meat, it protects the meat somewhat from creating HCAs.  Add herbs and spices to your marinades to increase the flavor.
2.  Trim your meat before cooking it.  Some of those HCAs are being created by the fat dripping on the heat source.
3.  Barbecuing over gas is better than over charcoal.
4.  Grill your vegetables.  Fortunately, they don’t create HCAs and you can enjoy the flavor of barbecue safely.