GOOD GRILLING

Did you know that you can control a lot more than you think when grilling meat this summer?

Let's take a closer look...

The iron content in red meat (beef or pork) is called "heme" iron. It is what gives meat its red color. The more red a meat is the more heme iron it has in it. This type of iron is well absorbed by the body, so that part of the story is good, but it also has a risk associated with it.

When heme iron is exposed to high heat it breaks down and forms a type of carcinogen called "N-nitroso compound." These compounds, also known as HCA's (heterocyclic amines) appear to form in the digestive tract when heme iron and intestinal bacteria trigger meat protein to combine with the nitrites. This is especially true with processed meats like sausage, bacon, ham, and hot dogs. (Consider buying nitrite-free brands of these meats.)

Here's how to maximize the health benefits of grilling:

• Marinate. It doesn't seem to matter what is in the marinade or how long the meat sits in the liquid. You can dip it right before you throw it on the grill.
• Microwave before cooking. You can eliminate 90% of the HCA's if you microwave the meat, chicken or fish first for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes and pour off the juices. Then put it on the grill.
• Try seafood. As long as you don't char seafood, it should have fewer HCA's than meat or poultry.
• Keep it moist. The dryer and more well-done the meat, the more HCA's you get.
• Bake, roast, or stir-fry. Grilling and barbequing create the most HCA's. Baking, broiling, and roasting create less.
• Flip frequently. Cooking meat or poultry for 6 minutes per side instead of 10 minutes cuts the HCA's by 70% because the surface temperature stays lower.
• Skip the pan drippings. If the meat or poultry is well-done, the drippings can have more HCA's than the meat.
• Cook in liquid. Boiling, steaming, poaching, stewing, or microwaving generates no HCA's because the temperature of the meat never tops the boiling point of the water.
• Eat your veggies. Veggie burgers and cooked vegetables generate little or no HCA's. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts may actually help the liver detoxify HCA's.