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When meat meets heat, magic happens. But tagging along with the great, charbroiled flavor of grilled burgers, steaks, chops, and chicken can be invisible grinding mill for limestone compounds that boost cancer risk. Don't bring this up at the next picnic, but HCAs (heterocyclic amines) -- created when amino acids in meat cook at high temperatures -- raise cancer risks. HCA's raised the chances of developing pancreatic cancer risk, for example, by as much as 80%, say University of Minnesota researchers. And PAHs (even more of a mouthful: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), which form when fat and juices drip onto a hot, flaming grill, damage your DNA.

Don't give up the grill. You can bypass the hazards with these five smart steps:

Trim fat, and marinate. Soaking well-trimmed meat and skinless poultry in a tasty, tenderizing marinade reduces HCAs mill for kaolin processing by up to 88%, especially if rosemary's in the mix, say Kansas State University researchers. Ginger and turmeric work, too. Make enough marinade to cover the meat. Basic proportions: ½ cup of lemon juice or vinegar, 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous shake of rosemary, crushed garlic, and a little salt and pepper . . . or season to taste with chopped cherries, tarragon, rosemary, sage and thyme . . . maybe some ginger, honey, and garlic . . . you get the idea. Marinate in the fridge in a covered container for half an hour or more before grilling, though even 15 minutes makes a real difference.
Precook. Microwave meats and burgers till partly done, then grill. You'll get the flavor boost without prolonged high-heat cooking, reducing HCAs three- to ninefold, say University of California researchers. In their study, just 2 minutes in the microwave made a big difference.
Douse the flames, skip the smoke. Keeping the grill below 300 degrees Fahrenheit also reduces HCAs, according to the National Cancer Institute. Love a smoky flavor? Get some liquid smoke from the supermarket, and add it to the marinade instead of extra wood chips to the flame. Wood smoke contributes to the formation of aging PAHs.
Do the flip. Turning burgers once a minute on a low-temperature grill keeps levels of dangerous HCAs much lower than cooking burgers on high and flipping them just once, say scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Try not to pierce meat; releasing juices and fats onto the grill creates hot (read carcinogenic) flames.
Grill up something different. Skip the source of HCAs and PAHs -- animal protein, juices, and fats -- and serve up hearty, grilled portobello mushrooms, black bean burgers, veggie kabobs, asparagus, eggplant slices, and even mill for coal grinding mills peaches, plums, and nectarines. Fruits and veggies lower the risk of some cancers that red and processed meats raise. Bonus: They have far fewer calories and fat. No need to loosen that belt!