Looking for a healthy snack?
Beijing Radish SaladThis can be made with watermelon radishes or other types... The picture has a couple of other veggie....
Radish Top SoupBy: LAURA NASON "This is an easy recipe that uses an unlikely part of a vegetable we love to eat. ....
Published on 04/08/11 by Rich Holister
Up to now, many individuals still prefer to use charcoal barbecue grills despite the availability of gas grills. This fact perplexes some people including those who love to grill and eat barbecue. As a matter of fact, the unique features of gas grills very well suit today's busy lifestyle since these tools can cook fast; however, charcoal barbecue grills produce something distinct on the food itself which gas grills cannot match. Before making any decisions, it is better if you can learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of barbecue charcoal grills.
The good features of charcoal barbecue grills
For most barbecue lovers, the smoky meat flavor is a delicacy that can only be produced using charcoal barbecue grills. Charcoal barbecue grills have a leverage against gas grills because it can be utilized for slow-cooking process that retains the moisture and tenderness of meat regardless if it's fish, poultry, pork or beef. The slow cooking method takes two hours to as much as two days; thus, fat and other oils from the meat can drip from the barbecues that in a way curbs fat intake from this kind of process. It can be said then that slow-cooking using charcoal barbecue grills presents a healthy option because the heat locks in the food's nutrients and reduces fat intake due to the drippings.
Health hazards posed using charcoal barbecue grills
Environmental problems such as increased emission of greenhouse gases can also be caused by burning wood that becomes charcoal. Once wood is burned, or any fossil fuel, the gas emissions are largely responsible for trapping heat that contributes to global warming.
Another important issue linked to the use of charcoal grills for cooking is cancer. Possible carcinogenic compounds, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) are produced when meat is grilled using charcoal barbecue grills that lead to health risk. These chemicals are formed when fat dripped from meat come into contact with burning charcoal, then they evaporate in form of smoke and get deposited back into charred parts of barbecue meat. During grilling, the temperature soars and smoke is produced continuously which can lead to food poisoning. Nevertheless, even when you broil or fry meat at high temperatures this also occurs.
Having said both sides, a person can make choices whether he needs charcoal barbecue grills or get other types of grills.
