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egg/carcinogens

opod
opod Posts: 41
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
i've had an egg for about 3-4 yrs. i seem to use it more and more, cooking on it 2-3x/week. i even use it as a stovetop for frying bacon, cooking eggs etc as i seem to be able to use it better than the oven/stove in the kitchen. anyway, my wife has been concerned about possible carcinogens with the egg, especially with low and slows, pizzas etc. we have 4 kids and she wants to start limiting the egg use to 1x/week. anybody know something about this?

Comments

  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Cooking over an open fire = carcinogens

    BOIL EVERYTHING, DON'T EAT MEAT, no pesticides and you will live to be 100 and not enjoy a thing.

    Your call. :huh:
  • milesofsmiles
    milesofsmiles Posts: 1,377
    Guess I've got my share of them. Been cooking on asst. grills for 52 yrs. Thay sure taste good. Smiles out.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    it's the high temps, charring, that you want to avoid. grilling is fine, burning is not.

    lo and slo is one of the safest ways to go. but keeping flames down (lid shut), grilling less fatty cuts, and eating rare (versus well-done) meat are ways to reduce the compounds which are the problem.

    well done steak is NOT safer. tell that to your ,other in law next time. hahaha

    if you were to cut out grilling altogether, you might affect some change, but not nearly as much change as if you addressed the amount of fat in the diet, and portion size.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    As soon as I see a death report that says the cause was 'carcinogens by grilling food', I'm not going to worry about it. In fact, I checked and there has never been a death caused by eating grilled food with 'carcinogens'.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    say the two majic words, yes dear, and keep on grilling. :laugh: :whistle:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • bitslammer
    bitslammer Posts: 818
    Gator wrote:
    I found this article and thought you might find it helpful.

    http://medweb.mit.edu/wellness/resources/mithealth/summer2006/stories/story2_1.shtml

    This one says it all:

    Marinate meat and poultry. The research is clear: marinating meats, in any kind of marinade, even for just a few minutes before grilling or broiling, can reduce HCAs by 90 percent or more. Researchers don't know why marinating has such a dramatic effect. It may be because the marinade sets up a barrier against heat, or perhaps marinating draws out chemical precursors of carcinogens from the meat. (Again, to keep bacteria from growing, keep food in the refrigerator while marinating, and never add uncooked marinade to cooked meat or poultry.)
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    opod,

    This has come up before and as I remember, the ceramic would be the least harmful of any bbq. The bad stuff is created by long exposure to open flame and high temp. You don't get a lot of open flame with the egg and the cooking environment is hot. That means less time exposed to high temps and flare ups as compared to an open grill or que that doesn't retain heat as well.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Ya not a big concern IMO, knew a girl who would practically only eat boiled boneless skinless chicken breast because it it was healthy but she was also the boring person I knew. Plus what you r cooking on the egg is better even with the added concerns for what you might be cooking for you kinds and family in the house (think a lot of high carb boxed HFCS stuffed dinners and lunches)

    But thats just my $.02

    PS do you think cavemen where wondering about this when sitting around a campfire cooking up the days kill? lol that just what came to mind when I read this post
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Keeping your food cooking out of the kitchen and on an Egg outside is a really good thing. A hot oven puts out lots of heavy metal vapors, as well as carbon monoxide. (Don't put a pewter dish into a hot oven unless you want your kitchen to be a smelter.) And the cook at least gets to breath fresh air, and bask in the sun.

    Lo-n-slo, with a drip pan is a great way to cook. The salt and sugar help sterilize the meat. The herbs and spices in the rub likewise kill off harmful bacteria, and are anti-carcinogenic themselves (rosemary is great!) Don't let the fat drip into the coals. Don't use too much smoke. Done right, you'll render out a lot of the fat.

    Putting in vegetables at the same time will cook them at a temperature that reduces the chance of getting acrylamides in them. (beware gingerbread!)

    Shift your pizzas more to a Neapolitan style, just some olive oil, a bit of fresh mozz, some basil, rosemary, smash of tomato, some good bread, what could be the problem with that? (other than eating too much...)

    Might ask your wife if she thinks you're spending too much time with the Egg. :silly:
  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
    In life we all make choices. I smoke cigars, and I like my scotch. I know that they aren't the best for me, but I also know that I could do things that are a lot worse. I look at the risks of both and see that my chances of anything bad happening are probably a lot less than if I ride to work without my seatbelt. For the amount of pleasure that they both give me, I'm not going to quit. THAT is the same way I feel about my charcoaled food. I even char my food every once in a while. There was a thread here a while back that I started about Pittsburgh sytle steaks. Talk about a char!!! I figure I'll probably keel over from being pissed off about something before eatting something off my Egg gets me. :silly:
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i'll say it again.


    Jimm Fixx died of a heart attack....
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    Hey Steve,,,I heard it stunts your growth :whistle: :woohoo: :P
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    I thought it made you grow hair on your palms, or was that something else? :unsure:

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Boatman
    Boatman Posts: 854
    I always cook with alcohol B):lol: :silly: :woohoo:
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Yup, wash it all down with a cold one. B)
  • fieroguy
    fieroguy Posts: 777
    Ron - Agree 100%. If you can't enjoy life, then why bother living?