DAD’S GRILLED TURKEY with Lemon-Garlic Marinade. From The Kitchen Of GrillingGuide.net

When I was growing up, before deep fried turkey became popular, my dad would always cook the thanksgiving turkey on the grill. He had a little Weber kettle grill that was perfect for this as it was pretty easy to regulate the heat. Needless to say, Turkey was always a treat at our house. Grilled turkey is juicy and delicious with a slightly smoky grilled flavor. Dad would just use pats of butter and garlic stuck under the skin for seasoning. I amped it up a little using a marinade injector Preparing in advance is important for grilled turkey. A turkey on the grill will take approx 30 min to prep, 8 hours to marinate and 3 hours to cook. It is best to prep and marinate the turkey the night before and set in the fridge overnight. What To Grill Lemon Garlic Marinade 1 cup chicken broth 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup oil, olive or canola 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves finely chopped) 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 tsp salt Turkey 12-14 lb whole turkey, thawed 1 marinade injector Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning or similar How To Grill It Be sure to chop or grind spices as fine as possible. Place all marinade ingredients in blender. Cover and puree. Be sure it is smooth, this is important as large pieces will clog the injector. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. This is a good time to prepare the turkey. Prep the thawed turkey, remove plastic leg holder, giblets and neck. Rinse the cavity and pat dry. Inject the marinade into turkey Sprinkle Creole Seasoning inside cavity and over the outside of turkey. Place turkey in a large tray or dish. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours. To prepare the turkey for refrigeration, fasten neck skin to back of turkey with toothpicks. Tuck the leg under the piece of skin at the tail. Fold the wings across the turkey, so the tips are touching Set up grill for Indirect Heat. For charcoal, place a drip pan directly under the grilling area and arrange coals around the pan. For gas, use the outside burners. Place the turkey directly on the grate, breast side up, over the drip pan or unheated part of gas grill. Close cover and grill over medium heat (4 seconds using the hand method). Cook about 3-4 hours until meat thermometer reads 170F. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes before carving. Serves 12-16

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There are many ways you can turn your grilling not only into a flavorful and fun way to cook, but also into a healthy way to eat. By choosing foods that are low in fat, high in nutrients and full of flavor you can get great meals that are also healthy. Use marinades not only to add extra flavor but also to reduce the formation of cancer causing substances on foods. A marinade containing olive oil and/or citrus juices can reduce the formation of these chemicals by as much as 99% and marinades tenderize meats and make a much better meal.

There has been a lot of talk about grilling and cancer. While the risk is real and you really need to keep this in mind, there are some simple things you can do to greatly reduce the cancer risk. The two primary substances, for those of you interested are: Heterocyclic Amines (HCA) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). In the simplest explanation these chemicals are formed by putting food, primarily meats in contact with intense heat and flame. They are known cancer causing agents so you need to reduce their formation as much as you can. Now grilling isn’t the only cooking method that causes these agents and there isn’t a reason for you to give up on your grill.

Recently scientists at the Food Safety Consortium project at Kansas State University have discovered that herbs of the Lamiaceae family (Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, and Sage) used in marinades reduced HCA formation dramatically. This is good news and a great reason to grill with flavor. These herbal antioxidants reduce the formation of free radicals (bad stuff) when meat hits heat.

HCAs and PAHs are formed mostly from fat. Either by fat being heated to extreme temperatures or by the smoke created by fat burning. For the most part this applies to meat fats and not just the grease and fat from what you are cooking but the build up from the bottom of your grill. To reduce the risks follow these basic tips:

• Keep your grill clean. A clean grill not only cooks better it is safer in every way.
• Trim excess fats from foods. These fats are the troublemaker so keep it to a minimum.
• Use marinades based on olive oils and/or citrus juices. This is the number one way to stay safe.
• Avoid flare-ups. Flare-ups burn foods and this increase HCA formation.
• Don’t overcook foods. The charred bits on foods are the largest sources of PAHs and HCAs so if you have charred sections of meat cut them off.
• Use herbs like Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, and Sage to add flavor and reduce HCA formation in foods.

If you follow these rules not only will you greatly reduce the risk of these cancer agents but you will reduce the fat in meats that you grill. Of course grilling is a great way to reduce fat, but this takes it even farther. If you buy lean cuts, use lite marinades and serve up your grilled foods with a good helping of fruits and vegetables then you will really be grilling healthy.

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