Summer is fast approaching and warm weather means that you can do several things including firing up that arrosticini grill of yours. There are lots of delicious grilling options out there. Though barbecue overall has a bad reputation, there are actually several healthy benefits when you choose to grill your food. It is all about the choices as well as preparation.
First things should be first. There are quite a few health rules which you have to follow when you grill your food, such as:
- Do not burn your good. According to Health.com you should not char your food? Why is this? Two compounds which are often found in charred and overcooked meats are the heterocyclic amine (HCAs) as well as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are deemed as carcinogens. One study found out that people who consumed the well done meats on a regular basis were 60 percent more likely to acquire pancreatic cancer.
- Use a marinade with low-fat. Some research suggests that marinating meat even for a short amount of time will significantly reduce the formation of HCAs. This includes onions and garlic in your arrosticini marinade which can also help in reducing HCA formation on cooked meat.
- Keep the meat lean. Select those leaner cuts and trim the visible fats if there are any in order to prevent dripping fat from causing fire flare-ups which may deposit some form of carcinogen on the meat.
- Make use of foil. Spread the aluminum foil on the arrosticini grill in order to limit or avoid flare-ups. Make some small holes in the foil in order to allow the fat from the meat to completely drain. Also, in order for you to help lower the cancer risks, clean your grill all the time in order to get rid of preexisting chars.
Here are some tips in having a healthy, savory barbecue:
- Marinades can be healthy. Accordingly, you may add bold flavors for your arrosticini barbecue to taste great without adding in too much calories or fats. You can include Worcestershire sauce or you can make your own chili sauce. If you want, you can also try placing tomato paste and molasses. When making the sauce, you should not be afraid to add little amount of sugar. Ingredients like honey, sugar or molasses can further bring up the flavor of the barbecue to another level and it typically goes well with other different spicier marinades. However, you should not add too much or you will risk burning your food. What is even much better is that plenty of marinades have some surprising health benefits. Take for example tomato paste contains lycopene which is considered as an antioxidant that fights the free radicals which disrupts normal cell growth and will potentially lead to cancer, premature aging and heart disease.
- Veggies. You may have noticed perhaps that vegetables taste much better when they are grilled. When you marinate and then grill the vegetables, you allow them to caramelize better and it is in the process of caramelization that the best flavors are brought out.