No matter how savory those steaks may smell, grilling meat at high temperatures isn’t a good thing. The high temps cause a number of cancer-causing compounds to form such as HCAs and PAHs.
HCAs (heterocyclic amines) form when meat, poultry, fish or game is seared over a high flame.
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are created when fat drips onto hot coals. Smoke and flare-ups then can deposit them back up to settle on the meat.
But that doesn’t mean you need to chuck your chicken breasts. Minimize your risk with simple techniques. These are tips to try when you are grilling:
- Marinating meats before grilling ( Citrus based marinades are the best ) can reduce the amount of HCAs formed by up to 99 percent.
- Cutting off charred bits before you eat will help.
- Cover the grill grate with punctured foil to cut down on drips and lessen smoke.
- Keep it short. Grill smaller cuts. Kebobs are great because of the small pieces of meat or poultry used to cut down cooking time.
- Precook. Microwave or bake meats or poultry, then toss them on the grill for just a minute for flavor.
- Go low and flip. Cook at a lower temperature, and turn meats frequently. Research shows they’ll cook faster that way, without forming HCAs.
- Go lean. Select lean cuts, and trim fat and skin, so that there’s less fat to drip.
- And the one foolproof way to grill safely? Cook ALL THE VEGGIES YOU WANT- They don’t form HCAs or PAHs.