Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Summer 2003)
TOPIC: The grills of summer
There's more to cooking on the barbie than beef
by chryss cada

Just throwing a couple of burgers and dogs on the barbecue is so five years ago.

Lift the lid of the grill these summer days and you’re bound to find a well-rounded, healthy meal, featuring everything from marinated fish to veggies to grilled mango.

“Grilling has expanded far beyond the meat,” says Dianne Moeller, registered dietitian with the Health District of Northern Larimer County. “There are options now to truly round out the meal.”
Options such as salsas from grilled veggies, quesadillas, tofu kabobs, pizza and even grilled fruit for dessert.

Still there are a few “old school” backyard barbecuers out there sticking with more traditional fare.
“I always stress to people not to forget the veggies,” says Moeller, who teaches cooking classes at the Health District. “If you want to have a healthy complete meal, you have to expand beyond protein.”

But grilling meat is still a healthier choice than some cooking options, Moeller points out.

“It’s much better to grill than to pan-fry because you’re not adding any extra fat or oil,” she says. “In addition, much of the fat is cooked off in the grilling process.”

Grillers should watch for fat that drips on the coals and produces flames, which can char the meat.
grilling how-to, recipes

• Three books by Steven Raichlen:

“How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques,” list price $19.95

“The Barbecue! Bible,“ list price $19.95

“BBQ USA: A Barbeque! Bible Cookbook,” list price $19.95

• “The Vegetarian Grill: 200 Recipes for Inspired Flame-Kissed Meals,” by Andrea Chesman, list price $14.95
• “Weber’s Big Book of Grilling,” by Jamie Purviance, Sandra S. McRae, Tim Turner, list price $22.95
• “5 o’clock Grill,” by Better Homes and Gardens, list price $15.95

Recipes

“You can end up with burnt meat that possibly has some carcinogens,” says Pat Kendall, a food safety expert with Cooperative Extension and a food science professor at Colorado State University. “Whether those carcinogens would cause cancer or not, we don’t know – but it’s not a good idea to end up with heavily charred meat.”

Of course, the largest concern is not overcooking the meat, but undercooking it.

“We strongly recommend the use of a meat thermometer,” Kendall says. “Then you have an assurance that meat is reaching the temperature you were intending to cook to.”

For chicken, that temperature should be approximately 160 degrees, Kendall says. In addition, thicker pieces of meat such as chicken breast should be cooked to 165 degrees. For red meat, you can go a little lower, to 145 degrees.

“At those temperatures, you can be sure that all the pathogens are being destroyed,” she says.
Moeller suggests that backyard barbequers might want to consider adding grilled food to other dishes, such as salads, soups and salsas.

“When you’re grilling, cook up a little extra meat that you can add to a salad for lunch or dinner the next day,” she says. “It’s a real time-saving technique.

“And, most importantly, it’s another opportunity for a well-balanced meal.”