This year, I hope you were looking out for Dad's health on Father's Day by applying beer to his barbecue feast. Did you know that beer could be doing his body good when combined with his meaty marinades? And nothing says "American Dad" like firing up the grill and cracking open a cold beer.
According to YahooFood.com, “a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggests that marinating meat in beer helps reduce the eventual formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ('PAHs,' for short) on your dinner.”
So just what is a PAH? It has been dubbed according to News.Discovery.com, “the BBQ Cancer Chemical.” Yahoo goes on to explain it as “a group of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline and can form on barbecued meats.”
A beer drinker I am not, but I like to stew and brew with it in the kitchen or on the grill, and not just for Father's day. Below are some of my original favorites for my dad and hubby:
BEER PORK SOFT TACOS
• 1/3 cup of light beer
• ½ tsp. red pepper oil
• (12) 6-inch flour tortillas
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 6 tbsp. lime juice
• One 12-oz. pork tenderloin, cut into 1" slices
• ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salsa
• Greek yogurt
Whisk together beer, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour over pork and refrigerate a few hours up to overnight.
Remove pork from marinade and grill until juices run clear and center is no longer pink.
To serve, place a portion of the pork in the center of each tortilla. Add onion, cilantro, salsa and Greek yogurt to taste.
Serves 12
MEXICAN BEER CHICKEN SLIDERS
• 12 oz. Mexican Beer
• 6 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup of minced fresh cilantro
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2-3 lb. boneless chicken
• One dozen whole grain slider buns
Whisk together beer, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, sea salt and pepper.
Pour over chicken and refrigerate a few hours up to overnight.
Remove chicken from marinade and grill until juices run clear and center is no longer pink.
Cut chicken into smaller portions to fit inside small slider buns.
BEER BEEF KABOBS
• 1 lb. lean strip steak
• 4 sweet potates (boiled until tender)
• 1 red bell pepper cut into thick strips
• 1 red onion
• 4 zucchinis (cubed)
For Marinade
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup of dark beer
• Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder to taste
Combine and blend the marinade ingredients in large bowl or plastic bag.
Cut up the raw steak into chunks and add to the marinade, coating thoroughly. Marinate for at least a couple hours or overnight.
Cut boiled potatoes, red pepper, zucchini and onion into chunks.
Thread the steak, cubed zucchini, onions and peppers onto skewers.
Grill kabobs turning frequently until cooked through.
Sources:
“The Number 1 Reason to Marinate Your Meat in Beer – Rachel Tepper – Yahoo.com.” Yahoo Food. Web. June 13 2014.
https://www.yahoo.com/food/the-number-1-reason-to-marinate-your-meat-in-beer-80806472024.html
“Beer Marinade Reduces BBQ Cancer Chemical – News.Discovery.com.” Discovery News.
Web. June 13 2014.
http://news.discovery.com/human/health/beer-marinade-reduces-bbq-cancer-chemical-140326.htm
Joanne Sgro-Killworth is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist and Publicist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training.
Joanne's fitness plans, recipes and lifestyle advice are available globally on her website www.happiwoman.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her husband and son, where she runs her fitness and publicity business, Fitness Answer, LLC.
Reviewed June 16, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith