Marinate your steak for a healthier meal

If you are frying steak and worried about your health, then marinate it in either beer or red wine. This is according to food scientists who measured the amounts of a family of carcinogens found in fried steak after soaking them in booze.

Cooking food increases the levels of cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HAs). Fried and grilled meat are particularly high in these compounds because the high temperatures convert the sugars and amino acids in muscle tissue into HAs. Various substances can reduce the HA conent: an olive oil, lemon juice and garlic marinade cut HAs in grilled chicken by 90% and red wine reduced HAs in fried chicken.

Now Isabel Ferreira and colleagues at the University of Porto in Portugal have looked at the effects of beer and red wine marinades on fried steak. Six hours of marinating in beer or red wine cut levels of two types of HAs by up to 90% compared with unmarinated steak.

For a third type of HA, beer was more efficient at reducing its levels than wine. The marinades also apparently improve the flavour and texture of the meat.