When we bake or grill food, the delicious aromas come first. A chemical reaction takes place between amino acids and carbohydrates in the meat, creating a smooth, brown crust. The reaction that takes place is called the Maillard reaction and is named after the French chemist Louis Camille Maillard. The reaction gives a beautiful color, wonderful smell and fantastic taste to the meat, these are some of the reasons why we actually bake or grill. The delicious good taste.
You won't get sick from eating a scorched crust of bread or a slightly burnt piece of meat or fish every now and then. Only if you regularly, over a long period of time, ingest burnt food, can this be harmful to your health. The substances can damage our hereditary material, ie our DNA, and are therefore carcinogenic. They are associated with an increased risk of several cancers.
How much grilled food we eat depends a lot on the weather and the grilling season. Still, most of us can benefit from a more conscious relationship with proper cooking temperatures and food preparation, whether grilling or pan-frying. It is good for health and not least for the taste.
How do you prevent the formation of harmful substances during cooking?
1 Use clean tools. A dirty frying pan or grill can cause burnt residue in the food.
2. Do not grill over flames. Start grilling when the charcoal is white and glowing on the outside.
3.Choose lean cuts of meat and fish. The flames are more likely to flare up and can burn the food if you grill fatty pieces. At the same time, fat can drip onto the charcoal and form substances that can be harmful to health. Lots of smoke is not good, both because it seeps into the food and we inhale it. If you grill products with a lot of fat, you can use a baking tray or foil to prevent the fat from dripping down.
4. Bake or grill the food at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.
5.Place the grid high in the grill to increase the distance between the food and the charcoal / grill element.
6. Grill with indirect heat.
7. Do not overcook the food. If you fry meat or fish in a pan with margarine, the frying pan is sufficiently hot when the fat has stopped bubbling and has a light golden color.
8. Turn the food several times during roasting / grilling to avoid a burnt crust.
9. Do not use the frying pan further in the preparation, as it may contain burnt residues from frying.
