The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

How about is chardon meat, really? There's nothing like charcoal grilled meat.

It's not just the food itself, although that's amazing.

It's the entire experience, being outside and fresh, albeit smoky, air,

the sizzle when you slap that meat down on the hot grill,

the smell of the smoke. Even the tools we use when

grilling are bigger and savager and more rewarding than the dainty implements used inside. We don't

gently flip the steak. We grab it with huge metal tongs and throw it down. There's less

precision and more art, and the flavor can't be found anywhere else.

The smoke, the flame, the char, the grill marks, the color, the dripping fat, they're irreplaceable.

But is it healthy? Is that perfect sear costing you years off your life? Are those barbecue ribs adorning your colonic interior with precancerous polyps?

That's what we've been told happens.

That's what's supposedly behind the relatively inconsequential increases in colorectal cancer risks seen in red meat eaters.

In previous posts, even I've recommended gentle cooking techniques

and cautioned against excessive intake of grilled, seared, barbecued, and fried meat,

especially without using protective marinades and eating protective vegetables.

I reiterated this stance a couple weeks ago in my response to the WHO report on red meat and colorectal cancer.

A couple nights back, I found myself hovering over a pair of lamb shoulder chops sizzling on a charcoal grill,

watching the marrow render before my eyes, anticipating the blackened lamb fat and caramelized

marinated meat.

Could it really be so bad?

Should I have dropped these chops into a pot of boiling water instead?

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