| Buenno BBQ Season! |
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It is a harbinger of summer, that wafting smell of searing meat as you pull into any Toronto neighborhood after say, 5 pm on a Friday night. The BBQ is a time honored, time saver that the men folk will even pitch in on. But did you know that all that good grilling is bad for you? The grilling (or any high heat method) of animal protein creates two classes of mutagens (read: carcinogens) HCAs and PAHs and it all has to do with how the heat changes the protein of that steak. Those luscious grill marks hide chemicals that the body really, really wants to get rid of. And, in so doing, they become active and DNA damaging, YIKES! But wait, you say, peoples have been grilling meats for millennia! YES, But never this much, this often. All is not lost; you can have your summer bbq and eat your meat too! Here is how… 1. Marinate before grilling steak-any ol’ marinade will do, just splash something acidic on before you grill, try lemon juice and rosemary, then rub with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil AFTER grilling. 2. Microwave before you cook-disgusting thing to do to a steak but smart with chicken! I often partially cook my chicken in the micro which keeps the meat more moist anyway. 3. Lower the temperature and slow roast, lid down. Avoid any blackened bits, they are the worst. 4. Do not let the meat dry out, the drier it is the more HCAs. 5. Flip out. Often. Flipping keeps the surface temperature lower which avoids the blackened bits. Best of all…fresh fruit and veggies, high in Vitamin C seem to help counteract the negatives. So does miso soup, yogurt, brewer’s yeast (not beer, but you may as well have a dark one just in case) any other pro-biotic that will keep your system working at top notch. Try this recipe for kiwi relish and serve it every time you BBQ, scare those HCA’s into submission.
Kiwi salsa Recipe By : Theresa Albert, Thyme for Supper Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:10 6 kiwi fruit -- peeled and chopped 1/2 cup cilantro -- chopped 2 tsp mint -- chopped 1 can jalapenos -- chopped, drained 3 limes -- juiced 4 teaspoons grape seed oil Toss together all ingredients, salt and pepper to taste and allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
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