Rosemary, Oregano, Sage Neutralize Carcinogens In Red Meat

[Wiley50]

I LOVE ROSEMARY! No steak or chop marinade is worth a crap if I'm out of Rosemary.
So, I was happy to run across this info on HuffPo.

http://www.livescience.com/health/080523-healthy-burger.html

How to BBQ a Healthier Burger

By Robin Nixon, Special to LiveScience

(snip)

Studies show that herbs in the Lamiaceae family — such as rosemary, sage, and oregano — may keep meat from causing cancer. As part of an ongoing Food Safety Consortium project at Kansas State University, researchers found that burgers marinated with rosemary had 70 to 80 percent less heterocyclic amines (HCAs) than those bathed in a plain marinade. HCAs mutate DNA and are suspected carcinogens.

Researcher J. Scott Smith explains: When you throw a raw steak or patty on a hot grill, the meat's amino acids and sugars produce unstable compounds called free radicals. These radicals then react with beef's creatine to make HCAs.

Herbal antioxidants halt this process. They chemically soothe free radicals before they start creating mutagens all over your basic backyard burger or a beautiful Porterhouse steak.

While marinades are best because they cover the whole surface, simply shaking on dried herbs may reap the same health benefits.

"Barbeque sauces seem to work too," Smith added. Just make sure you shake or smear on spices before you get to the grill. Once the cooking process begins, the HCAs are there to stay, Smith said.

If you don't want your cookout wafting of rosemary, basil or worse (mint helps too), Smith advises using herbal extracts easily found online. Extracts, he explains, have no aroma or flavor but contain "the most vital part of the plant" — the antioxidant.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Why wouldn't I want my cookouts to waft the scent of rosemary, oregano, etc.?

Mmmmm... I just planted big pots of sage and basil on my patio. Good to know!

[Wiley50]

4. My ex-DIL used to complain about the "pine needles" on whatever I grilled out

One reason that her mom is my ex

[TwilightGardener]

5. I hate people who hate flavor, and want everything to have the taste and

texture of baby food. I love those little "pine needles"--it's especially good mixed with butter and garlic and stuffed under the breast skin of my roasted chicken.

[KamaAina]

7. Mom once had a Christmas tree with those "pine needles"!

it works in a Manhattan apartment. A friend who's Italian put her on to that tradition. She was cooking with "pine needles" for months into the New Year. Delizioso!

[islandmkl]

2. don't forget parsley and thyme, too...

[earthlover]

9. And what yu get is a Simon and Garfunkel Classic

Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme

[maxsolomon]

3. it can't be this easy.

cuz if it is, i'm going to live forever.

[malaise]

6. Rosmary is best as tea with a teeny bit of mint

We drink a cup every night - it's good for the memory they say.

[uppityperson]

8. I just bought my 4th rosemary plant, type called "barbeque"

It looks like it grows a bunch of straight sticky branches, rather like skewers. I now have 2 trailing, 2 tall, and this one. 3 types of oregano, only 1 sage plant though.

[juno jones]

10. Damn, oregano, don't leave home without it!

If you don't want your cookout wafting of rosemary, basil or worse (mint helps too)

I grow all of my own herbs and use the constantly in my cooking. They will grow readily in limited space.

For Memorial Day I had Antelope Ribs (I know, quite elitist, but they were a x-mas gift from my restaurant...) that were marinated in a greek marinade with fresh oregano and mint, garlic and white wine. Pretty nice. There is much credit given to the 'mediterranean diet' in reducing heart disease and cancer, perhaps these herb combos contribute to that?

I don't understand people who don't like flavor in their food, but then again I was raised by midwesterners who had a hard time eating any food that was seasoned with anything other than salt and pepper. I had to start working in restaurants for a living to discover what food could really be.

[Bluebear]

11. It's about thyme! nt