What is the general concensus as to the safety of cooking food this way?

[danio34]

Amen to that!  If the outer skin of your meat is getting burnt from smoking, then you are not smoking...you are cooking (an at too high of heat for too long)!

 

[bigcbbq]

Hello Everyone,

This is a very informative and interesting post/thread. I smoke in moderation I guess. But I think for prevention of any types of cancers we should focus on building and strengthing our immune system. That is what protects us from diseases. You must have your raw organic vegetable and fruit intake daily (unprocessed). That will give our bodies the strength fight and wart off any diseases. We are exposed to many toxins in our everyday life. So try to reduce this exposure, and build the immune system thru raw fruits and vegetables. Thats the key to life, organic nutrition that is what our body really utilizes and absorbs and builds our cells.

GO SMOKERS!

 

[billm75]

If you cook over a wood fire, directly or your smoke your meats, it's not going to inject your body with cancer causing carcinogens anymore than breathing the air around you will.  Vehicle exhaust, industrial pollutants, camp fires or in your fireplace, all have some level of something bad for you in them.  There's no way to avoid all possible dangers.  And you shouldn't have to.  I remember my grandmother telling me about growing up in the hills of West Virginia.  The foods they ate, the way they prepared them and the lack of "sanitation" available to them.  Not a one of them got food poisoning or seriously ill from any of that.  They cooked on the wood stove, the fireplace, out back in the fire pit.  Used a pig's tail to grease the skillet, ate meats that weren't refrigerated (she was born in 1911, btw).  And lived to be nearly 80.  

You know what got her?  Throat cancer from smoking for nearly 65 years.  

I dunno, I've been eating smoked foods for as long as I can remember (only been cooking them for around 10 or so), but I feel it's a healthier way to eat to be honest.  Most all of the fat is rendered off of the meats so there's less to ingest.  Most of the seasonings I use are fresh, no MSG, very little salt.  And the taste....oh the taste.  You can't beat a good rack of hickory smoked spare ribs when they're seasoned up just so.  

If she's concerned about cancer from BBQ, I dunno what else to say.....gopher it!  You only live once.  ;)