Barbecue And Its Goodness From The Perspective Of Health?

By Author: Kirthy Shetty
Total Articles: 2542
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Barbecue is the safest way of cooking. It allows you to cook meat in low flame with out the use of fattening elements such as oil or ghee. It usually has a coating of sauce which is made up of apple, strawberry, raspberry, honey and mustard which is a sweetening element to the meat. If you choose the spicy sauce, you get the hot and sour coating on it.

It drives home the rustic feeling and is often cooked outdoor during family gatherings. The same form of cooking is brought to the restaurants so that food lovers can savour it even in a city. There are plenty of hotels which are getting more health conscious and resorting to this tasty and low calorie way of cooking. Meat lovers would love the taste of a grilled stuff as it gets yummier with the crispy crust coating on top. Not to leave out the veggies, you too have loads of options to choose from. Layers of paneer, capsicum and tomatoes when grilled make up for a good grilled stuff. These are dipped in a spicy and tangy sauce to enrich its flavour. They may be marinated and then cooked in a low flame to make the luscious grilled vegetarian stuff.

Health aspects ...
... of heating meat or marinated vegetable on a low flame are:

It makes your grilled stuff prevent heart disease and reduce HCA formation (Heterocyclic Amines)

It is low in calorie and serves well the diet conscious folks.

Cooking your food over a medium heat is safe and much tastier too. If you can't wait to see them cook for a long time, you can cook them partially in a micro wave and then achieve the crispier finish on the direct fire with a good marination of sauce. Marination enhances flavour and makes the meat tender, besides helping in the reduction of HCA or Heterocyclic Amines formation. The higher the cooking temperature and the longer the meat is cooked, the more HCA is formed. Cook in medium flame!

You can minimize the amount of time needed over the heat by cooking smaller pieces or even partially pre-cooking it in an oven or microwave. The less time spent over direct, high heat on the grill, the safer the meat. With marination, there is an increase in moisture which can reduce the formation of HCA's as much as 90%. Even a quick marinade just before cooking can make a substantial difference.

Kirthy Shetty, Expert Author.
To know more on Barbeque Nation Bangalore, Nandhini Restaurant Whitefield