Expert: John Langenfelder - 5/30/2009

Question
For smoking and grilling what is best to use as the heat source in a charcoal unit- wood or charcoal? What about natural charcoal? Where can I get whatever product is best? What else can I do to avoid cancer risk?

Answer
Don,

Tell me that you are really kidding about this...

ANYTHING that burns and emits smoke is going to be a carcinogen. Wood will generally emit more smoke than charcoal.  Natural charcoal??  All charcoal is natural...  If you mean hardwood vs briquettes.  Hardwood is more natural than briquettes.  Briquettes are the dust and chips of hardwood charcoal that are packed together in chemicals to form the shape they are.

Any wood or charcoal will emit smoke.  It will be a carcinogen,  Burning food and eating said burned food is a carcinogen,

Life is too short to worry about this. Sit back, relax, have a beer (also a carcinogen) and enjoy a steak, or chicken or slow smoked pork roast. Just try to breath in as little of the direct smoke as possible.

Read this if you are really concerned:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/c/carcinogen.htm