How safe is charcoal grilling and smoking meat?

[Number409]

We love BBQing, in fact I try to grill as much as possible. My wife just asked me if it’s safe to eat grilled/smoked meat as much as we do and any scientific facts on increased risks of cancer, stroke etc? Keep in kind we try to limit our red meat to 1-2 times a week.

[Mosca]

It’s fine.

[texastweeter]

Is life worth living if it isnt?

[ecowper]

Good analysis of the topic from @Meathead

Does Grilling Cause Cancer? Find Out The Facts Here. (amazingribs.com)

[Allon]

I don't want to look...

[jfmorris]

Allon its a good read, and basically if you are smoking meat with clean smoke, you are good. And if you are grilling, the question becomes how much char is on the meat. It's a lot more complicated than that, but I feel the risk is minimal. The studies that made folks afraid of smoked and grilled meat are questionable - they did the smoking one in Europe using pine wood, which no one should ever smoke anything wood!

[ecowper]

This is much like the stuff around meats cured with nitrites/nitrates. It turns out that you have to eat pounds of the stuff every day for decades to be a problem.

[bbqLuv]

Oh, I was thinking that BBQ and smoking meat was the cure, not the cause. Just don't use poisonous, resinous wood.

[Finster]

Here for a good time, not a long time..

[CHNeal]

If it’s dangerous I am screwed!

[bbqLuv]

CHNeal "If it’s dangerous I am screwed!" . . . Blued and tattooed, the new body art.

[Finster]

Washblue
Gray hair would be an upgrade for me..

[Washblue]

We rock our gray beards, Finster

[smokenoob]

How safe is driving, crossing the road, surfing the interweb……?

[Murdy]

Reminds me of a "Young Ones" episode:
Pilot and Co-Pilot sitting in a cockpit.
Co-Pilot: "I hope we don't crash"
Pilot: "Well, they say flying is safer than crossing the street"
Co-Pilot: (looking out the window and seeing they are flying over a street) "We're doing both right now"
Plane crashes.

[RichieB]

I'm 70 and have been eating all kinds of protein since I can remember. Including many White Castle burgers and if you are from North Jersey, Clifton/Passaic, Rutts Hutt burgers and rippers. Still alive and kickin'. Mitigate with copious amounts of red wine and an occasional bourbon. You'll do just fine.

[Draznnl]

Perhaps the first time the word protein has been used to describe anything on White Castle’s menu.

[JCBBQ]

Dude!!! Ruts Hutt Rippers are the bomb!!

[bbqLuv]

I'm 70 also, and if I knew I was going to live so long I would have taken better care of myself.

'52 was a very good year.

[WayneT]

At my age, I'm going for the gusto and eating pretty much what I want, caveats be damned.

[Allon]

OMG...

All our ancient ancestors ate grilled meat!

They're all dead!

[Washblue]

It was bad sauces…

[Bkhuna]

Yeah, but they boiled their ribs.

[bbqLuv]

I'm in line on the road to the end, paired with PBR.

[DesertRaider]

I love smoking and grilling, and think that if you don't overdo it, your going to be ok. The only thing I won't do is use charcoal that contains coal, and many brands still do.I also think there are a LOT of environmental factors that contribute to various cancers and our less than stellar health outcomes. So, maybe we're all doomed, but, the article ecowper posted is a good read. And if we are doomed, well, I figure it's worth having tasty food between now and then

[mrichie1229]

Exactly!

[Mosca]

Several years back the Egghead Forum had a serious discussion about using coal instead of charcoal. I got laughed out of the forum for pointing out the obvious, including citing sources. (I never went back.)

[Oak Smoke]

No matter what you eat at some point you will die. All things in moderation is about as good as I can do. I eat Keto which is a lot of protein. I like my protein grilled or smoked. I think worry is the thing to avoid. I’m 70 also and doing fine now. I’ve had a couple of scary things health wise, but neither was caused by food.

[Bkhuna]

Allon Didn't Euell Gibbons die of Dutch Elm disease?

[DesertRaider]

Allon OK, not trying to be a party pooper, but what Euell Gibbons died from was a little known genetic disorder that tends to take people younger in life. I only bring it up because rare diseases and disorders don't get the attention they deserve.
OK, I'll go back to lurking.

[Allon]

@DesertRaider

I didn't say anything about Euell Gibbons until now. Not one thing...

[Number409]

Thanks everyone for the input and linking to Meathead’s article. I’m not a master BBQer but I know how to handle my grills/smokers, what good and bad smoke looks like, nor one of these dumba** that chars the protein and calls it BBQ.

[FireMan]

Keep cookin!

[DavidNorcross]

Since when is protein bad? Sugar is the culprit and no one really talks about it and I am not speaking of cakes and pies.....