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SALT LAKE CITY -- In some ways, saying "healthy barbecue" is a contradiction in terms. Some chefs say barbecue is, by nature, kind of a fatty thing.
If you plan on barbecuing or grilling this holiday, in some cases, the best way to cut the fat is to get the right meat.
Viking Cooking School Executive Chef Jim Light says, "The leanest cut is the tenderloin. It's very popular and it's easier for an amateur or, let's say, not a really seasoned cook to use."
Light says grilling and barbecuing are not necessarily fatty ways of cooking. In fact, it's somewhat the opposite. But generally, the meat being cooked does have quite a bit of fat in it, and the sauces can have a lot of sugar in them.
Aside from the meat, it's the side dishes that could get you in trouble, calorie-wise. For instance, American-style potato salad has a lot of mayonnaise and eggs in it.
"European potato salads are primarily oil, vinegar and herbs," Light points out.
There are ways to make coleslaw that has slightly fewer calories. It all depends on the sauce.
"You can make that with vinegar and oil, or you can make it with kind of a creamy-style sauce," Light says. "Obviously, the creamy-style sauce has got a lot of mayonnaise and sour cream in it so it's a little heavier in calories."
A lot of people like to grill sausage on the Fourth of July. Light says sausage does have to have some fat in it, or it will be way too dry. But he says you can make your own sausage and have a little more control over how much fat is in it.
"If you have a Cuisinart or some kind of a food processor, just throw all of the ingredients in there and whirl it up a little bit and there you have it. You can patty it up and fry it or you can grill it, which would even be healthier," Light says.
Many people may think barbecuing and grilling are the same thing, but Light says they're not. Grilling is when you put the food directly on the heat source. Light says barbecuing often involves a two-chamber machine -- one to create the heat and smoke, which cooks the food in the other chamber.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
