Today’s post comes from the fabulous Chef James – my partner in life and all things food. He’s the BBQ lover in our family, and has found some great ways to minimize the “collateral damage” shall we say… Happy celebrating!
I love the 4th of July! Growing up, it was a time of barbecues, water balloons, 5k’s, pie baking contests and parades. It’s the socializing, play and joy of cooking outdoors that continues to make the 4th of July one of my favorite holidays.
To commemorate Independence Day (and Canada Day!), I thought I’d dispense five important tips if you’re eating or cooking BBQ.
1. Eat cultured vegetables with everything you grill. Not to be a Debbie-Downer, but there are carcinogens in those black grill marks that make BBQ so appealing. Cultured veggies help offset the negative effects of the BBQ.
2. When grilling, don’t lather the BBQ sauce on until the last minute. Sugar burns faster than the meat can cook. Most of the time, I’ll grill the item and then toss it in the sauce afterwards.
3. If using olive oil, add a little saturated fat (coconut oil, ghee, tallow, duck fat, lard) to the oil to help stabilize it. Most vegetable oils cannot take high heat without creating free radicals or a carcinogen.
4. The Art of Grill Marks starts and ends with you barely touching the meat or vegetables. Lay the food on the grill and leave it alone to cook. Flip it once and let it cook on the other side. Lots of movement results in poor searing and bits getting stuck on the grill.
5. Don’t want all those black charred bits on your food? When the grill is hot, take a wire brush to it. Then, fold a cloth towel (an old one that you don’t mind getting dirty) and using your tongs, dip the exposed part into some cooking oil. Holding the towel firmly in the tongs, rub the towel over the grill. You’ll see the towel pick up the remaining black dust. Continue until the grill looks clean. A couple of notes: wear an oven mitt, use long tongs, and make sure the oil isn’t dripping off the towel into the flame. It could cause a flare up.
Happy 4th of July!
photo credits: veggies and meat
