With spring in full swing, outdoor dining is a great way to enjoy meals, whether it’s a weeknight family dinner at a backyard picnic table or a 50th wedding anniversary celebration under a white canopy tent with a thousand tiny lights strewn about. And with Memorial Day just around the corner, what better way to celebrate one of the most primal means of gathering and sharing food than to prepare fresh, in-season, locally grown fare over an open fire?
Barbecuing is one means of cooking that lends itself to true Paleo-style dining without much recipe alteration needed, apart from perhaps skipping a soy-based marinade or serving a dish sans sauce made with corn syrup. But is it safe?
What about all the studies that warn us against grilling because of the exposure to smoke or the consumption of the carcinogenic char that forms when meat and high heat are combined to create a blackened crust? Don’t worry!
There are a few simple steps you can follow to cut down on what might otherwise be considered the dangerous side effects of cooking on your outdoor grill.
Use marinades and rubs
Coating meat with a rub containing herbs and spices such as rosemary, thyme and pepper – or smothering it with a thick marinade – not only adds delicious flavor but can help prevent the creation of carcinogens by reducing dripping fat, smoke and char.
Pre-cook your meat
Precooking removes some of the fat that can drip and cause smoke, greatly reducing the amount of time your meat sits on the grill being exposed to toxins.
Reduce drippings
Using a simple piece of aluminum foil as a protective barrier under the meat helps prevent drippings from smoking, thereby reducing the amount of fumes blowing into your food and your lungs.
Get the party started!
Now that you can rest easy knowing that grilling can be safe, let’s get onto the fun part — what you’re actually going to cook!
First off, as always, rather than placing too much emphasis on the fact that you’re not going to serve sides like potato salad or baked beans at your Paleo barbeque, why not focus on all the bounty of what you will feature?
All of the colors of the rainbow can be represented by your choice of veggies to be served, both during pre-meal time as crudités with guacamole, in a salad before dinner as well as a key part of the pièce de résistance… the protein!
Choosing a theme for your dinner can be fun, too and you can either stick with a traditional beverage which would properly represent it, or get creative making your own signature mixer out of favorite fresh herbs, blended with sparkling water and finished with a citrus twist for a little bit of pizzazz and flavor. One of my California favorites is basil, Meyer lemon and just a hint of heat from a dash of chili!