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Safe Grilling
What you grill may be the most important issue
Grilling vegetables and fruit produces no cancer-causing compounds
Recipes
Marinating and Cooking Times for Grilling Meats

Safe Grilling

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In addition to handling food safely to avoid food-borne illnesses there are ways to reduce your exposure to cancer-causing compounds that form when certain foods are grilled at high temperatures. According to current research there are four factors that affect the formation of these potentially harmful compounds: type of food, cooking method, temperature, and time.

The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) is an excellent source of information about current research related to food and cancer. Here is their seasonal warning about grilling that highlights a few key points:

What you grill may be the most important issue

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Red meat (beef, pork and lamb) and processed meat (such as hot dogs) top the list of foods to minimize or keep off the grill in light of recent research linking these foods to cancer – regardless of how they are prepared. Since grilling meat, poultry and fish produces cancer-causing compounds, grilling meat is essentially a double whammy.

The AICR recommends limiting red meat to 18 ounces (cooked) per week. Since the stats for processed meats are even more troubling the AICR now recommends avoiding hot dogs and other processed meats altogether.

Grilling vegetables and fruit produces no cancer-causing compounds

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Many components of these foods are linked to a lower risk of many cancers. Summer is a great time to experiment with grilling alternatives.

Since grilling fish and poultry does produce the potentially harmful compounds here are the AICR’s recommendations for reducing grilling risks:

• Select smaller cuts of meat, such as kabobs, and limit your portion size.
• Select leaner cuts, to prevent dripping fat from causing flare-ups, which deposit carcinogens on the meat.
• You can also reduce flare-ups by spreading aluminum foil on the grill. Make small holes in the foil to allow fat to drain.
• Try a marinade. Some laboratory research suggests that even briefly marinating meat significantly reduces the formation of HCAs.
• Partially pre-cook meat briefly in the microwave before grilling, to speed up grilling time.
• Flip meat frequently, which reduces the amount of carcinogens that arise.

Recipes

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BBQ Sauce
Orange Maple Vinaigrette
Mojito Marinade

BBQ Sauce

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BBQ sauce is easy to make and there are many variations. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins A, C, E, K, & folate and the minerals potassium, magnesium, iron & chromium. Cooked tomatoes are especially high in the plant compound lycopene – a strong antioxidant that has shown promise in protecting cells from cancers, decreasing blood clotting and inflammation.

If you prefer a less sweet sauce omit some of the honey and all of the brown sugar. Tomato paste is naturally sweet due to the concentrated fruit sugar from the tomatoes (This is why you cannot rely on the grams of sugar on the can to tell you how much sugar is added). If you don’t have every ingredient on this list don’t worry about it – as long as you have tomato paste, something sweet and a balance of tangy or spicy ingredients you can make a delicious substitute.

Yield ¾ - 1 cup sauce
Whisk in a small bowl:
1 / 4 cup tomato paste
1 / 4 cup honey (liquid easier to mix)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped pasilla pepper (or your choice of chili pepper varieties)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 / 4 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar or molasses
1 / 2 teaspoon curry powder
1 /4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 / 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
(Optional – a squeeze of fresh lemon)

Beyond Broccoli’s Orange Maple Vinaigrette

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Makes roughly 2 cups
In a bowl whisk: ¼ cup pure maple syrup (for a less sweet dressing
                                    ½ cup balsamic vinegar
                                    ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
                                    2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
                                    1 pinch dry mustard (optional)*
                                    Juice from one fresh orange
Slowly add:                    ½ cup extra virgin olive oil.
*Chopped fresh basil or cilantro are great substitutions for the mustard.

Eating Well Magazine’s Mojito Marinade

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The mojito, a Cuban cocktail, is made with rum, lime juice and fresh mint muddled with sugar at the bottom of a tall glass. We turned this refreshing idea into a brightly flavored marinade that works well with any light meat or seafood. Use on: Extra-firm tofu, shrimp, scallops, mahi-mahi, chicken, pork (see Tip)

Makes about 1 1/4 cups
2 shallots, peeled and trimmed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup rum
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
1/2 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place shallots, mint, rum, lime zest, lime juice, honey, oil and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the shallots are finely chopped. Pour the marinade into a shallow baking dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag for marinating 1 to 2 pounds (4 to 8 servings) of your chosen protein.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per 2 teaspoons: 21 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 113 mg sodium; 14 mg potassium.

Marinating and Cooking Times for Grilling Meats

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TIP: Follow the marinating times, cooking times and temperatures below for juicy, perfect grilling results.

EXTRA-FIRM TOFU

30 minutes to overnight
2-3 minutes per side
SALMON FILLET
30 minutes
3-5 minutes per side

CHICKEN BREAST boneless, skinless

2 hours to overnight
6-8 minutes per side; 165°F

CHICKEN THIGHS boneless, skinless

2 hours to overnight
6-8 minutes per side; 165°F

CHICKEN THIGHS bone-in, skinless

2 hours to overnight
15-25 minutes, turning occasionally; 165°F

DUCK BREAST boneless, skinless

2 hours to overnight
4-8 minutes per side; 150°F

PORK CHOPS bone-in, 3/4" thick

2 hours to overnight
3-4 minutes per side; 145°F

PORK TENDERLOIN

2 hours to overnight
14-16 minutes, turning occasionally; 145°F

FLANK STEAK

2 hours to overnight
6-8 minutes per side; 140°F for medium
STRIP STEAK bone-in, 3/4"-1" thick
2 hours to overnight
4-5 minutes per side; 140°F for medium

LAMB LOIN CHOPS

2 hours to overnight
5-6 minutes per side; 145°F for medium
*All cooking times based on medium-high grill temperature and cooking with the grill lid closed.