On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 245

collect,andonmeatsthataregrilled,broiled,
or fried well done. Oven roasting leaves
relatively few HCAs on the meat but large
amountsinthepandrippings.Acidmarinades
reduce HCA production, as does cooking
gently and aiming for a rare or medium
doneness. Vegetables, fruits, and acidophilus
bacteria (p. 47) appear to bind HCAs in the
digestivetractandpreventthemfromcausing
damage.
PolycyclicAromaticHydrocarbonsPAHsare
created when nearly any organic material,
includingwoodandfat,isheatedtothepoint
thatitbeginstoburn(p.448).Cookingovera
smoky wood fire therefore deposits PAHs
from the wood on meat. A charcoal fire is
largelysmokeless,butwillcreatePAHsfrom
fatifthefatisallowedtofallandburnonthe
coals,orifthefatignitesonthemeatsurface
itself. Small quantities of PAHs can also be
formed during high-temperature frying. The


PAH hazard can be minimized by grilling
over wood only when it has been reduced to
coals, by leaving the grill uncovered so that
sootandvaporscandissipate,byavoidingfat
flareups, and by eating smoked meats only
rarely.
Nitrosamines Nitrosamines are formed when
nitrogen-containing groups on amino acids

andrelatedcompoundscombinewithnitrite,a
chemical that has been used for millennia in
salt-cured meats, and that suppresses the
bacteriumthatcausesbotulism(p.174).This
reaction between amino acids and nitrites
takes place both in our digestive system and
in very hot frying pans. Nitrosamines are
known to be powerful DNA-damaging
chemicals, yet at present there’s no clear
evidence that the nitrites in cured meats
increase the risk of developing cancer. Still,
it’s probably prudent to eat cured meats in
moderationandcookthemgently.