Preservatives, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers …
Aesthetically packed sausages and meat portions encourage you to buy it. But let’s take a closer look at their composition:
Śląska sausage can be found in virtually every supermarket and it is very popular among grilling enthusiasts. However, its composition often surprises with the variety of ingredients. In one the product, apart from pork, we can find: water, modified starch, salt, soy proteins, wheat fiber, stabilizers E451, E450, E452, E508, soy fiber, E407, E471, E472, E316, E301, E300, glucose, spices and spice extracts , E621, aromas, the dye hemoglobin, and the preservative E250.
Unfortunately, it is not much better with ready-made pickled meat portions. They usually hide behind a tasty-looking piece of bacon, pork neck or chicken wings flavor enhancers, acidity regulators, stabilizers, and thickeners.
In the case of many products, apart from additional substances, the very quality of the meat used in production unfortunately leaves much to be desired, as evidenced by, among others, stabilizers and emulsifiers used.
The substances most often added to finished grilled products:
E407 — Karagen | Emulsifying substance | May contribute to intestinal ulceration. |
E262 – Sodium acetate | Preservative | Considered safe. |
E331 – Sodium citrate | Preservative | Considered safe. |
E621 – Monosodium glutamate | Flavor enhancer | Research suggests that it may be related to the development of obesity. |
E450 – Sodium and potassium diphosphates | Stabilizing substance | High phosphate concentrations can disrupt metabolic processes. |
E250 – Nitrous oxide | Preservative | Nitrites are potentially carcinogenic compounds. |
E300 – Ascorbic acid | Antioxidant substance | Safe for health. |
The advantage of finished products is certainly convenience their application and saving time. All you have to do is take them out of the packaging and place them on the grill, and after a few minutes you have a prepared meal. However, its quality is not the highest, not to mention the nutritional value.
Instead of using ready-made ingredients, prepare an aromatic marinated pork neck yourself
The preparation of a simple marinade takes no more than 5 minutes, and at the same time we are sure about the quality of the meat used and we decide what additives and spices we want to use.
The simplest marinade can be made from olive or rapeseed oil, lemon juice and your favorite spices. Thanks to her, the meat will be there crispy and juicyand its taste and aroma are much richer. We will get the best effect when the marinated meat spends a few hours in the refrigerator before grilling.
If someone has more time and willingness, the marinade can give the grilled dishes a unique character (at their discretion they can be spicy, sweet, herbal, sour, salty or oriental). In order to prepare it, you can use, among others beer, wine, yoghurt, mustard, fruit, vegetables, or spices such as ginger, juniper, coriander. The variety of marinade ingredients is only limited by our imagination.
When choosing meat for the grill, pay attention to its color and smell, this will allow you to determine its freshness. The best meat is light pink or red in color and with a pleasant, delicate smell. Under no circumstances should it be covered with mucus or tarnish. Try to choose smaller pieces, then there is a greater chance that they come from younger animals whose meat is tastier.
Sausage, steak or pork neck, unlike grilled vegetables, fish, seafood and poultry, are not the healthiest dishes. Nevertheless, it is possible to indulge in such pleasure from time to time. Of course, bearing in mind the principles of safe grilling and using appropriate, high-quality products, and avoiding ready-made products.