Flipping burgers frequently during frying and using a lower flame may decrease the cancer-causing risk that has been previously associated with compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), since the flipping cuts their production.
Researchers found that cooking the burgers to an internal temperature of 158 degrees Fahrenheit eradicated bacteria, regardless of pan temperature or flipping frequency. Meat thermometers can signal when a burger has hit the bacteria-killing temperature.
HCAs form only when meats like beef, pork and poultry are cooked at high temperatures and researchers determines that levels depend largely on pan heat and flipping frequency. Levels remained low when the burgers were flipped every minute in a 320-degree pan and rose in patties that were turned just once after cooking for 5 minutes.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute November 1, 2000;92:1773-1778
This is exactly what I like, simple inexpensive and nontoxic solutions to stay healthy. There are other measures one can take to lower the HCA content in meat. The easiest would be to put the contents of one vitamin E capsule into each burger. A tastier but more expensive option would be to put blueberries or cherries into the burgers. All these methods have been shown to reduce the HCA content.
This same benefit would likely apply to cooking food on a barbecue and also to other meats besides burgers, such as steaks.
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