With the warmer weather now prevalent and people venturing out doors to enjoy that old Aussie favourite the Barbie, I thought it an opportune time to ‘chew the fat’ about meat. One of the arguments I often hear relates to the healthiness of burnt meat. Some say charcoal is good for you or at least won’t hurt, whilst others emphatically dispute this. I think it depends on who cooked the meat as to which way the argument goes! For all those who love a good BBQ I have bad news, there are health risks associated with grilled animal products. When grilled, red meat, poultry and fish produce cancer-causing compounds called HCAs (heterocyclic amines). When HCAs are metabolized in the body, they can attack the genetic material in cells.

The damage can lead to cancer. Different people metabolize HCAs at different rates, which affects the amount of damage they do. For most people though, consumption of HCAs seems to increase the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate and stomach. Marinating meat, fish and poultry before grilling can greatly reduce HCAs. For example, one study found that chicken marinated for 40 minutes in a mixture of brown sugar, olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and salt cut HCAs by 92-99 percent. Another way to prepare the body for an onslaught of HCA’s is to eat vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts. These vegetables contain compounds that activate enzymes in the body which detoxify HCAs. When bread browns as it is being baked it’s due to a process known as the Maillard reaction. Maillard molecules are precursors of the HCAs which form when meat is cooked at high temperatures. Maillard molecules also form when vegetables or fruits are grilled, but they don’t represent nearly the danger posed by full blown HCAs, which are formed by the grilling of animal products making it more harmful to eat  grilled animal products than vegetables, so enjoy grilled veggies but try not to overcook food, or to eat food that has been significantly burnt or charred.  Puts a whole new light on that snag sizzling on the BBQ now!

The other argument I hear is how long meat should be cooked to be considered safe to eat – tar tare, medium rare or well done. The thing with meat is the bacteria is mainly on the outer surface but inside, if, unmolested, should still be reasonably sterile therefore it is ok to eat meat a little under-cooked if you like your meat tender and juicy. The longer you cook meat the more juices it releases and therefore the drier it will become. Ironically I learnt how to cook a steak when I was living in Sweden and working as house–keeper for the Lebanese Ambassador and at the time, a vegetarian! He got fed up with me ruining his steak and so showed me how it’s done – and here it is.
Brush the steak both sides with a little olive oil then heat up the skillet. When a drop of water dropped onto the skillet spits and evaporates the skillet is ready. Place the meat in the pan and leave it until it comes away easily from the surface then turn it over and do the other side. If it sticks to the pan then it’s not ready. Cook each side just once, turning the meat over and over will only toughen it.
As for sausages, burgers and products made from minced meat or chicken, the bacteria that was on the outside of the meat is now blended through so you should never eat these if they are still pink but keep cooking until cooked all the way through – but don’t burn them! People often mistake the notion that if they want something cooked well done then you must have the heat up as high as possible. All this does is cook the outside very quickly leaving the inside still raw. If you want something well done – just leave it cooking longer.
And so we come to chicken.  Hm, how to discuss this without being gross?  Chickens bred for the meat industry are kept in over-crowded sheds and 98% of carcasses are so contaminated with ecoli bacteria that by the time they reach the market, (I won’t even tell you how they are slaughtered it’s quite horrific) largely because of the filthy conditions of the sheds in which they are raised, so much so that butchers soak the meat in chlorine before selling to the consumer to kill off ‘some’ of the bacteria. Have you ever asked yourself why the fat on chicken meat is white? Fat should be yellow. Chickens are also genetically manipulated and pumped full of drugs to make them grow faster and larger. Guys if you want ‘man boobs’ keep eating copious amounts of drug-laden chicken. If you’re at all concerned about what you consume and the welfare of animals, a healthy humane alternative is organic chickens.  

TGC ‘Friend of the month’ is Frank from Vegas poultry. (Yes dear reader, I do allow males in too – it’s not a sealed ‘women only’ section!) Frank is sales manager of Vegas Poultry, Their enviroganic farm chickens, spatchcock and turkeys, are raised naturally among the gentle valleys of Murringo, in NSW. They are free-range in fresh air and sunshine on lush organic pasture, while having access to as much organic grain as they desire. Such notable gourmets as Dorinder Hafner and Margaret Fulton sing their praises and thoroughly endorse this product. As with most things which are good for you, organic chicken is a little more expensive but then if we adopt an attitude of ‘quality over quantity’ eat less but better – it’s well worth it! Vegas Chickens have have various convenient outlets around Adelaide and will deliver for orders over $100.00. To find out more about Vegas Chickens call Frank on 0417 816 751 or visit their website at http://www.betterlifeorganics.com.au

This month’s Recipe – Warm honey & mustard chicken salad.

1 large chicken breast
*Nostimini
1 packet of mixed lettuce
1 bottle sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup cashews
1 avocado
Red salad onoins
½ cup runny honey
1 Tblsp Dijon mustard
½ cup green or black olives

 Until next month

Good food, good health, good life!