New Delhi: Sweet corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, steak seared on the grill. Could there be a more perfect late meal? Yes, but only if you know the healthiest ways to indulge in your barbecue habit. You might have heard murmurs about grilled meat causing cancer, and you’ve either tried not to listen or guiltily thought, well, what doesn’t? But here’s the good news: There are a bunch of ways to virtually wipe out the risk. In fact, there are eight of them!

The problem, by the way, is that grilling meat, chicken, and fish — especially if it’s charred or well-done — produces cancer-linked chemicals known as HCAs or HAAs. Animal fat dripping onto hot coal creates another worry, called PAHs. But you don’t have to go flame-free. Just follow one or more of the following methods, which will also make grilled food taste better.

Soak it up. Marinating meat boosts flavour and tenderness, while slashing production of cancer-causing HCAs by up to 90 per cent, especially if the marinade has an olive oil base.

Do kebabs. Small pieces of meat cook faster and produce fewer HCAs than caveman-size slabs do. Thread your protein of choice onto a skewer, with lots of veggies and grill until just done.

Add a secret ingredient. Making burgers? Mix in one teaspoon of wheat bran per pound of ground meat. It keeps burgers juicy, stops HCAs in their tracks, and won’t even register on the carb metre.

Finish it fast. Precook meat on the stove or in the oven or microwave in the day and then finish on the grill for great flavour and those tempting stripes.

Foiled again. Cover the grate with punctured aluminium foil. No flames, no drips, no HCAs — and no grill clean up, either.

Get skinny. To curtail dripping, trim fat from meat. Cook chicken with the skin on, and then toss the skin. You have nothing to lose but grease, calories, and carcinogens.

Have a glass of tea. How about some iced tea with your grilled meat? Tea’s supercharged antioxidants help neutralise carcinogens.

Grill something besides the main course. Bored with broccoli? Sick of sliced fruit? Throw them on the grill. Fruits and veggies don’t produce carcinogens, and many, from pears to pineapple, take surprisingly well to the brazier.

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