Healthy BBQ

A healthy BBQ is possible with these great tips from Aussie chefs and cooks. We all know those from a land Down Under know a thing or two about the barbie, here are some great ways to keep things flamin’ healthy as you cook up a storm.

YOU GO GRILL!
When it comes to healthy barbecuing, according to chef, TV presenter and well-known Aussie BBQ master Ed Halmagyi, ‘A barbecue needs two separate parts – a flat plate and a grill. Especially for fattier meats like sausages and well-marbled steaks, cooking on the grill allows fat to drain away for a healthier result.’ That’s us convinced!

LEAN MACHINE
When choosing meat for the barbie, look for leaner, thinner cuts such as flank and skirt steak, and skinless chicken breasts. ‘These cuts lend themselves to barbecuing as there is little fat to render away – all that’s needed is a few minutes over the flame,’ explains Phoebe Wood, Food Editor of Feast magazine. Worried these cuts will dry out and lose flavour? Jessica Brook, Food Editor of Donna Hay, has the solution: ‘Marinate meat for 30 minutes before cooking – just pop it in a zip-lock bag with a quartered lemon, a splash of oil and herbs such as parsley, sage, thyme or garlic cloves.’

VEG OUT
Often forgotten when it comes to firing up the grill are humble vegetables. Ellie Vernon, chef and Food Editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine says, ‘Vegies take on a smoky, charred flavour when cooked on the barbecue – and you don’t have to use large amounts of oil either. My favourites are corn on the cob and wedges of pumpkin topped with smoky paprika, parsley butter and a scattering of Parmesan. Enough to make even the most dedicated carnivore drool!’ Don’t forget to whip up at least two colourful side salads packed with leafy greens, too.

OILS OF WAR
‘Because barbecues are generally over a high heat, you need less oil to cook with, as this heat will stop meat sticking to the grill,’ says Phoebe. Ed agrees, ‘Your best friend for the grill is a can of cooking oil spray. It will apply a very fine layer of oil to the grill, which will keep calories down and reduce flare-up.’

Also, before you start glugging the oil into your marinade, remember this: ‘You can avoid the calories of oil-based marinades by using a bit of kitchen know-how. Marinades based on vinegar will add loads of flavour to meat – and in only 15 minutes. Just make sure you don’t leave meat in a vinegar-based marinade for more than an hour, or it can dry out,’ says Ed.

SEAFOOD AND EAT IT
Low in fat, high in protein, and cooked on the barbie faster than you can say ‘pass me a shrimp!’, seafood is the ideal meat for the barbecue. Jess suggests skewering it: ‘This way you won’t have a fish fillet stuck to your barbecue and flake off. Also, by cutting your seafood into smaller pieces to thread onto a skewer means cooking time will be shorter so you don’t have to be worried about overcooking.’ Easy!

BROWN BEGONE?
That well-browned look so characteristic of barbecued meats may be one to keep an eye on. When the proteins in meat, poultry and fish are heated to the point that their flesh starts to brown and blacken, you have the presence of heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Some studies have shown that diets with high exposure to HCAs are correlated with higher rates of cancers of the breast, colon and liver. However, studies are inconclusive. Perhaps look to begin cooking your meat in the oven, then finish on the barbecue for that flame-grilled flavour, or choose leaner meats and seafood that won’t need such a long cooking time.