Dear Cecil,
I’d like to invite you to dinner in the desert of Saudi Arabia. I promise you will have much fun and great experience. And you will have the most delicious chicken as well. But I’m not sure how well you will be if you get used to our Mandy. Mandi is made by digging a hole in the ground and starting a wood fire in the hole. When the fire stops burning and the embers are glowing, we put the chicken in the hole some 50 cm above the embers. Then we tightly cover the hole for 45 minutes. Arab doctors say it’s dangerous to our health. But I don’t trust them and I would like to have your say on that.
I’m not a doctor, but this sounds like the meat would be smoked in a moist environment. Smoked meats are a carcinogen, but so are lots of tasty things. I would guess as long as you eat it in moderation, it shouldn’t be an excessive risk.
BTW, this sounds like many other traditional dishes from other parts of the world, including barbacoa (the origin of BBQ).