Grilling Smart: How to Reduce Cancer Risk at Your Next Barbecue

Advice from the American Cancer Society

Gathering with family and friends for a backyard barbecue is one of summer’s great pleasures. But before you fire up the grill, it’s important to understand a few health considerations that can help you make smarter, safer choices.

🔬 What the Research Shows

Cooking meat at high temperatures—especially until it’s charred or well-done—can produce chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HA’s). These compounds form when the amino acids and creatine in meat react under extreme heat, such as grilling, broiling, or pan-frying.

According to a major study from the University of Minnesota, individuals who frequently consume charred or well-done meat may have up to a 60% increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Other studies have linked HA’s to cancers of the colon and stomach.

The longer and hotter the meat is cooked—especially when it develops blackened or burnt edges—the more HA’s are likely to form.

🔎 What Are Heterocyclic Amines (HA’s)?

HA’s are chemicals created when muscle meats (such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish) are cooked at high temperatures. These substances have been shown in laboratory experiments to cause changes in DNA that may increase cancer risk.

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How to Cook the Perfect Healthy Steak — Induction Cooking Temperature Settings

Personally, I’ve never been a major fan of cooking steak on a grill. To me, the charred and smoky flavors often mask the wonderful natural taste of a perfectly cooked steak. If you visit any top steakhouse, you can bet they’re not cooking over an open-flame barbecue. Most quality steakhouses use flat grills, and the best chefs cook steaks individually—in a pan. Chef Charles Knight

Tips for Steaks, Chops, and Chicken

• Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator, then allow it to come to room temperature before cooking.
• Cut meat across the grain for tenderness. If unsure, ask your butcher.
• Marinate inexpensive cuts to promote tenderness and flavor.
• When searing, if the meat sticks to the pan, it hasn’t caramelized yet—be patient.
• 1 pound of raw ground meat equals about 2 cups of cooked meat.
• Turn meat with tongs, not a fork, to avoid piercing and losing flavorful juices.
• Let all meats (chicken, beef, lamb, pork) rest for 3–5 minutes after cooking before slicing. This lets juices redistribute for a juicier bite.
• While I’m not a big fan of meat thermometers (piercing causes juice loss), they can be practical when learning.

Why Induction Cooking?

Induction cooking offers a level of temperature accuracy and control that was previously impossible. This precision is essential for cooking perfect steaks.

Cooking Tips for Steak on Induction

• Trim excess fat to reduce splatter and smoke.
• Use a skillet that the steak nearly fills. A pan that’s too large causes splatter to burn, creating carcinogens.
• Sear steak on medium-high heat (around 400°F/200°C) for 3–4 minutes per side until it releases easily from the pan. Searing caramelizes the natural salts and sugars, creating an intense salty-sweet crust.
• Cooking with the pan lid on (vented or slightly ajar) speeds cooking and helps retain juices, but be careful not to crowd the pan or cook at too low a temperature with the lid on, as this causes steaming instead of searing.
• Practice makes perfect. A good cook learns to achieve desired doneness through proper equipment, temperature control, technique, and by feel.

How to Check Doneness

Since steak doneness depends on the cut, texture, and thickness, relying solely on time isn't always accurate. The best method is by touch. Gently press the center of the steak with your finger or the back of a fork:

• If it feels soft and squishy, it’s likely rare.
• A bit of resistance with some give indicates medium-rare to medium.
• If it feels firm and springy, it’s likely well-done.

This method helps you gauge doneness without cutting into the meat, which causes flavorful juices to escape. With practice, you’ll be able to judge doneness confidently—by feel, not by guesswork.

🔥 Pro Tip: For beginners, use the touch test alongside a meat thermometer until you get comfortable with the feel. Then you can graduate to the pro level—cooking by instinct and touch alone.

Doneness Test – Using the Palm of Your Hand

A simple and effective way to judge steak doneness is by using your hand as a reference. This touch test mimics the firmness of a steak at different levels of doneness.

To demonstrate:

1. Turn your left palm upward and spread your fingers.

2. With your right index finger, press the soft fleshy area at the base of your left thumb.

3. As you touch different fingers with your left thumb, that muscle becomes firmer—just like a steak as it cooks.

🔍 Tip: With practice, you’ll be able to recognize doneness just by feel—no cutting or thermometers needed.

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About the Author

Chef Charles Knight is a renowned culinary expert best known as the creator and longtime culinary leader behind Health Craft Cookware, a brand specializing in waterless, greaseless, and induction cooking appliances

👨🍳 Background & Career Highlights

• Early Origins: Raised in Rahway, New Jersey, Chef Charles Knight began developing his culinary skills in high school, working in local restaurants and butcher shops, where he gained hands-on experience.
• Formal Training: Studied at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City and received nutritional cuisine credits from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY 
• Infomercial & Media Presence: Starred alongside Chef Tell in Health Craft infomercials, beginning in the late 1980s, and co-hosted cooking segments on TV shows like “In the Kitchen with Chef Tell” and “Jack Can’t Cook” on the PAX network, Food Network, and WFLA-TV 
• Author: Wrote best-selling cookbooks such as Healthy Meat and Potatoes, A Guide to Waterless-Greaseless Cooking, and Cooking for a Longer Healthier Life, offering hundreds of recipes and detailed instructions on healthy, efficient cooking methods 

🏢 At Health Craft Cookware

• Served as President & CEO from 1983 until early 2007, guiding the brand to prominence in waterless and induction cooking technology 
• Continues as the brand’s leading culinary voice and spokesperson, sharing recipes, instructional videos, and blog content focused on healthier cooking techniques 

🍽 Expertise & Philosophy

• Health-first cooking: Emphasizes cooking with less water, fat, and salt to preserve nutrients—hallmarks of his waterless-greaseless methods.
• Induction and stainless steel cooking: Promotes the efficacy and health benefits of using precision induction cooktops and surgical-grade stainless cookware.
• Education-focused: Offers cooking blogs, social media content, and television demonstrations to help home cooks adopt healthier, more efficient kitchen habits.

🎥 Where to Find His Work

• Health Craft YouTube channel – features infomercials, demos, and recipe videos starring Chef Knight and Chef Tell.
• Health Craft blog – regularly updated with articles by Chef Knight on induction cooking, nutrition, cookware care, and more.
• Cookbooks – available bestselling titles include Healthy Meat and Potatoes, A Guide to Waterless-Greaseless Cooking, and Cooking for a Longer Healthier Life.
• Podcast on Spotify - coming soon.

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In summary, Chef Charles Knight is a culinary educator, TV chef, and cookbook author who's dedicated his career promoting healthy, nutrient-preserving cooking using waterless and induction methods—anchored by his leadership and enduring presence at Health Craft Cookware.

Would you like direct links to his blog posts, video tutorials, or where to purchase his cookbooks?