Grill Safely

As the summer sun shines (will it last?) the suburban air fills with lovely smells of outdoor grilling.

But before you get your BBQ going, repeat after me: heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Doesn’t sound tasty, does it?

HCAs are cancer-causing compounds produced by grilling "muscle meats" (red meat, poultry and fish). They have been shown to cause tumours in animals and said to possibly increase the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, stomach and prostate in humans. PAHs are formed when fat from meat, poultry or fish drips on the hot coals and via smoke goes back on the food that is being grilled.

The American Institute for Cancer Research advise to marinate meats (see a marinade recipe below) before grilling, which can significantly reduce the amounts of carcinogenic HCAs formed.

Also you can reduce your exposure to the carcinogens by:
- Choosing lean meats for grilling and trimming fat;
- Scrubbing the charred skin off the grilled fish;
- Removing the skin off the chicken before grilling;
- Avoiding high-fat ribs and sausages;
- Keeping meat portions small as they’ll need less time for grilling (think kebabs);
- Turn the meats frequently, which according to some research actually accelerates cooking;
- GRILL VEGETABLES, THEY ARE HEALTHIER!(corn on cob, asparagus, aubergine, tomatoes and mushrooms are all great BBQed)

Delicious Mediterranean marinade:

½ red wine (or vodka, as they do in Russia)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ onion or shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a deep bowl. Coat well the meat in the marinade and leave it in the bowl for 40-60 minutes.
Grill safely!