Rather than simply enjoying a good beer alongside the BBQ this summer, we should be using our cans to marinade the meat, scientists have said.
As well as adding some extra taste, basting the meat in beer before it hits the grill reduces the chance of potentially cancerous chemicals being formed during cooking, researchers suggest. They say pilsner and black beer are most effective, halving the amount of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been linked to colorectal cancer.
To carry out the study, researchers marinated pork for four hours (by which time chemical reactions on the surface of the meat had stopped) in three different types of beer - lager, non-alcoholic lager and a black beer.
The meat was then cooked to well done on a charcoal grill.
The results found that all of the beers reduced the levels of eight types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a chemical linked with cancer which forms when meat is cooked at very high temperatures.
The black beer proved most effective, cutting the levels by more than half, the researchers said. The non-alcoholic beer was the least effective, although it did still reduce levels.
Bottom line
“Thus, the intake of beer marinated meat can be a suitable mitigation strategy,” the team concluded, suggesting that the antioxidants in the beer make the surface of the meat resistant to PAHs.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances that can form when meats are cooked at very high temperatures, like on a backyard grill. And high levels of PAHs, which are also in cigarette smoke and car exhaust, are associated with cancers in laboratory animals, although it's uncertain if that's true for people. Nevertheless, the European Union Commission Regulation has established the most suitable indicators for the occurrence and carcinogenic potency of PAHs in food and attributed maximum levels for these compounds in foods. Beer, wine or tea marinades can reduce the levels of some potential carcinogens in cooked meat, but little was known about how different beer marinades affect PAH levels, until now. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
Here is a healthy, delicious, low-calorie recipe for your BBQ!
Beer & BBQ-Marinated Grilled Chicken Wings
Time: prep:
25 min - total:
1 hr 5 min / Makes: 32 servings
- 1 bottle (18 oz.) BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce, divided
- 1 bottle (12 oz.) dark beer
- 1/4 cup bottle olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 5 lb. chicken wings split at joints, tips removed
MIX 1 cup barbecue sauce with next 5 ingredients until blended; pour over chicken in large bowl; toss to evenly coat chicken. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.
HEAT grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.
GRILL chicken 20 min. or until done, turning occasionally and brushing with remaining barbecue sauce for the last 10 min. Garnish with 1 sliced green onion just before serving.
Nutrition facts per serving: kcal 120; total fat 7g; saturated fat 2g; cholesterol 25mg; sodium 150mg; carbs 5g; fiber 0g; sugars 4g; protein 8g; iron 2%DV.
Sources: http://phys.org/news/2014, http://www.science20.com/, http://www.sciencedaily.com/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.independent.co.uk/, http://www.kraftrecipes.com/