Marinade and Carcinogens

Everybody knows that overdone meat is very harmful, especially when roasted on the open fire when a practically black crust is formed. Dieticians and doctors keep screaming that it is replete with carcinogens. Yet we proceed to grill meat and wolf it with great pleasure because it is delicious. Experts at Livermore biological laboratory of Californian University discovered that carcinogenic content of meat roasted on a grill may be lowered to a considerable extent. You only need to marinate it for some hours preliminary to cooking.

They conducted some experiments. Pieces of meat were marinated in vinegar, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. After that pieces of marinated meat and pieces of meat that was not marinated – the traditional American or European barbecue – were grilled. Then they measured the content of heterocyclic amines which are conducive to cancer growth. It came as a surprise for the scientists when they saw that marinated meat had almost ten times less harmful content.

Now further research is being conducted to establish the exact marinade composition which is the most effective in protecting us from cancer. It is with us to duly thank scientists and praise wise mountain dwellers who at the dawn of time intuitively dawned on marinating meat for shish kebabs which did not come out overdone at all, but was prepared on medium fire for not longer than 20 minutes. It remains but to add that if you eat vegetables therewith and wash shish kebab down with good red wine, the meat’s harmful qualities drop to zero while the benefit increases considerably.