It's the middle of summer and grilling season is in full effect. We grill often at this house and I always get asked about the safety of grilling. We health professionals recommend grilling as a healthy cooking method because it allows fats to drip off the meat, therefore lowering your intake of fat and improving the nutrition profile of the cooked meat. But, could this method actually do more harm than good?!
The short answer to this question is no, so long as you are grilling the right way. What could be harmful with grilling is consuming charred meat. When meat or fat burns to the point that it is charred, it is believed that carcinogenic compounds form and ingestion of these could lead to cancer. Additionally, when food burns over a flame, smoke is created and this potentially carcinogenic smoke can settle on your food and also be ingested. These theories have been investigated and not yet proven, but it's still a healthy practice to avoid burning your meat.
There are a few different ways to grill safely without charring.
The first thing you should do is select lean cuts of meat with little visible fat. If you can see fat on the meat, trim it off and discard it. Fat easily catches fire and will be the first thing to char and create smoke. Second, try to minimize flare-ups. Flare-ups occur when juices or fat drippings hit the flame or coals below. Obviously if the flame is directly on your meat, there is a much higher likelihood of the meat charring and flare-ups alone place smoke on the meat. Lastly, if you do char part of you meat, trim that part off and discard it. I don't like wasting food and I am sure you don't either so hopefully you don't get to this point!
A few other ways to keep the grilling process safe are:
1. Beware of the marinades you use - some can be especially likely to drip and flare, like those with oil or sugar in them.
2. Avoid using the highest heat settings on your grill. Allow enough time to heat your grill to medium or medium high and cook the meat over a lower flame.
3. Always test the end temperature of your meat with a thermometer so that you are not risking foodborne illness.
4. Practice safe handling of meat - never cross contaminate by using the same dishes or grilling utensils with raw and cooked meats.
Grilling the right way is 100% safe and healthy. For another healthy summer alternative--that's super quick--try no-cook meals!
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