As soon as the warm weather comes and the temperature on the street approaches 20 degrees, a season of delicious dishes cooked on the grill comes. Roasting on an open fire is the oldest way of cooking. Our ancestors improved this technique and used it in other cases: for example, they tried to keep fruit, wrapped in leaves and heated in hot ash, longer. What do we know about the use of fire in cooking now? Grilling: healthy food is the topic of our conversation for today.
In essence, this method has been known since ancient times and has not changed to this day, only rarely sank into oblivion in some parts of the world. And if today grilling food processing is fashionable, this is due to the improvement of the primary principle of our ancestors who did not have the opportunity to use modern equipment. Few (except vegetarians) are able to resist the temptation to taste tempting aromas of barbecue, cooked on a picnic or just in your yard. Hardly, however, many of the grill-lovers are interested in how useful such good tasty treats of roast meat are. As they say, there is no complete happiness in life, and, despite its advantages, this kind of cooking has its own shortcomings. Although with the right approach, everything can be reduced to insignificant risks of dangerous diseases.
Types of grills
Preparation at the stake has long been no longer relevant. Now there are many different adaptations, with which grilled dishes are prepared quickly, deliciously and with pleasure. First of all, it is a matter of choosing a stance. Many supporters of the grill are very scrupulous about the material for the stand, because it gives a specific flavor to the cooked dish. Best of all - stainless steel racks of high quality without coating and varnishing. Further, these devices require an adjustable height and a potential for wind protection, which prevents air from entering the fat and contributing to harmful smoke. The use of horizontal rack-bars can be protected with aluminum foil. The next question is the choice of coal. The most suitable for grilling are beech coals. Again, in order to avoid burning fat and juices, it is advisable to use pre-marinated meat to avoid the burning process as much as possible. You can use aluminum foil or special gaskets, so that fat does not fall into the fire. Despite the serious advantage, since the end result is fried meat, grill coals are not to be used in apartments due to a serious amount of smoke that would surely irritate neighbors for several reasons. And although this is the case when smoke is produced with little or no fire, it is better to use these devices in nature, in fresh air and open space. Other types of grills - gas and electric. They can be considered as an alternative to charcoal grills, since they are more suitable for a home. In addition, you can avoid the harmful effects of contact between fat from meat and hot coals.
Danger of cooking on the grill
Elizabeth Schaub, a well-known specialist in the dietology of the regional medical center in the city of Plano, Texas, argues that too frequent consumption of well-roasted food on the grill dramatically increases the likelihood of developing cancer diseases (cancer). The reason for this is that during the preparation of meat the fat contained in it melts and drips onto the coals. As a result of this contact, carcinogens are released, which subsequently enter the smoke and even penetrate the product, as well as into our lungs. In addition, the consumption of, for example, grilled meat increases the amount of carcinogens in the body and thereby significantly increases the risk of developing cancer. It should be noted that harmful substances are found only in meat. Frying fruits or vegetables on hot coals not only adds to the pleasure of eating, but it is also an extremely healthy food. Firstly, it is low-calorie, and secondly - it is completely harmless to the body. The danger to human health is also that they are used to breed fire. To kindle the grill, do not use such "auxiliary" substances as gasoline, alcohol or other similar combustible liquids, which also penetrate into the meat. For the same reason, in any case, one should not resort to the use of paper (especially newspapers because of lead in printing ink), old and decayed firewood (not uncommon among people who grill in the forest), the smoke of which contains harmful substances .
Caution is also necessary when working with a grill. In Germany, for example, 4000 people were injured every year during this process. Children should not be allowed to close to the grill, without being in front of adults. Racks should be stable, its placement must be stable, and the location should be chosen so as not to lead to a fire. Caught by negligence in the grill, the flame should not be extinguished by water - it's best to cover the grill with something. Coals are advisable to extinguish with sand and collect only after the final cooling. If, however, you still received a minor burn, the wound should be watered as quickly as possible with cold water. But not more than ten minutes, because otherwise there is a danger of hypothermia. You should always follow the main advice - do not use oil or flour to treat burn wounds! These funds will reduce pain, but can cause a dangerous infection.
Advantages of grilling
Whatever you choose - grill, working on coals, an electric grill with infrared radiation or a grill built into the stove - the result should be healthy food. How can this be achieved? Most modern grills are designed so that you do not have to worry about the utility of the final product. In all these cases, we have the processing of raw food products through the effects of thermal radiation by hot dry air. Thus, it is better to cover the surface of meat, fish, poultry and other food products with a special lid that holds the available mineral and aromatic substances.
From a healthy look at meat dishes, fish or poultry cooked on a grill without the addition of fat and any spices, it is believed that they are completely harmless. Typically, the raw material contains very little fat, which during cooking on the grill simply evaporates. The natural taste of meat is filled with the aroma of fine seasonings, if during cooking it is slightly covered by a lid. Infrared radiation penetrates into the meat from the outside inwards and gradually makes it easy for digestion by the body. In contrast to radiant heat (as in a microwave oven), direct grinding is present when grilling, as a result of which fat does not turn into endragens, but vapor into liquid. So, grilling food processing is a natural form for cooking meat and finished products and is a perfect, safe and easy way of cooking. It is suitable even for people suffering from diseases of the stomach, gall bladder and liver. In addition, such food is relatively low in calories and contributes to the acquisition or preservation of a slender figure.
The fat that flows out of the product or the oil that it is watered on must in no case get into the coals or on the surface of the grill. This should be monitored, because they can generate in unpleasant smells. The same can happen with a small flame, and as a result, this will negatively affect the quality of the dish. Fatty pieces of meat should be placed in a special vessel with a drain or in a foil prepared for this purpose. Thus, the collected fat can be added subsequently to sauces in very limited quantities to maintain the advantage of a low-calorie meal. When cooking on the grill is very important the presence of intense heat fluxes. The temperature near the product should be about 170 degrees. The main rule in this case is that the thinner the food product, the closer it should be placed to the heat source. Never the surface of food should become brown. It is necessary to do everything possible to prevent burning, especially the internal parts of processed foods.
So much has been said about cooking meat, fish or poultry on the grill. But in the same way can be processed smoked meat, vegetables and fruits. Preparing these products takes less time. Nevertheless, we recommend that they be lightly oiled to protect them from burning. For them, cooking on the grill in foil or in hot ash (mainly for potatoes), which has one drawback - all the "operations" last much longer.
Delicacies of cooking on the grill
A significant role in grilling is played by oil, beer, various spices, extracts, syrups and sauces, mainly used in cooking meat, fish and poultry. A small spread on the outer surface of the oil protects the dishes from burning. Using a combination of spices and oil, you can achieve amazing flavor effects. Beer or sauces contribute to the formation of crispy crust. The taste is also given by different marinades, in which the product is kept for 1-2 hours before using the grill. Many people prefer a mixture of oil, pepper, marjoram and red wine. It is used mainly in the preparation of the liver, kidneys, poultry and smoked products.
For the preparation of lamb is more suitable marinade of olive oil, black tea, rosemary, pepper and garlic. Before processing on a grill, the pickled products should be dried completely with a clean towel. It is entirely appropriate that the first stage of cooking on the grill would do without any additives at all. Only at the end the product can be lubricated with the remaining marinade. It is recommended to salt food at the very end of the treatment, since salt displaces extracts of juice from raw meat and, therefore, it loses its nutrients.
Refills
Serve the dishes cooked on the grill, seasoned with various sauces that you can buy or cook at home. Spices should be matched to taste and should not exclude each other. Very tasty hot sauces are prepared in a container, placed on a rack. Even better is the use of a special net suspended above the fire. One of the significant advantages of such a grid is the ability to express an individual taste. The most suitable garnish for the fried dish will be various salads. You can include ready-made dishes as a garnish: boiled potatoes, rice, pasta, legumes. During the summer months, give preference to vegetables. You can supplement the vegetable salad with hard-boiled eggs, lobster meat or crabs, sausages, chicken, fish, bacon, olives or nuts. Excellent taste will give and a combination of salad with fruits. The opportunities to combine salads are almost unlimited. Today, the electric grill is equipped with various structures and adaptations and is the standard equipment of any modern household.
Of course, the greatest preference is often given to natural, "natural" cooking on the grill - healthy food, it is absolutely not a hindrance. A special pleasure is cooking on the grill outdoors. In the circle of friends and relatives, this process always creates an atmosphere of unloading and joy. And even the most simple dishes, cooked on the grill, become a kind of exotic.