January 12th
2007
It's funny how many of one's daily actions in the kitchen are governed by force of habit. I was quite happy with my rituals and habits until I stumbled upon a little note in a German food magazine (Essen & Trinken 01/07, p.8) that not only suggested to NOT rinse meat but made it sound like the silliest thing to do so. Hm, I have never questioned that little extra shower I treated my meat in our kitchen with and you'd think it makes sense for hygienic reasons and somehow it seems right, no? Right? Wrong! This is what the article (it's actually just a small response to a reader's question) claims anyway. Reading more about the whole issue made one thing super clear - as always there are different sides to the coin.
What do you do?
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I usually wash fish and poultry, NEVER meat like steak, lamb, veal, pork.
Umm. rinse? That has never, ever even occurred to me. :)
Why is it bad to wash it? I never thought about that!
having been around many butcher blocks, I can say that I would not eat meat without washing it. First of all I question the basic cleanlyness of the block, and everything else it touches. Washing it once removes residue blood and other such ickiness. In general if I didn't love meat so much I'd become a vegetarian just for cleanliness reasons.
It would never occur to me to rinse the meat, I don't want to wash away any juices and tastes and whatever there could be on the surface is deemed to die while you cook it anyway. If it's something wrong with the meat on the whole, rinsing it will hardly help anyway!
I clicked the " only rinse poultry" button, but I would like to specify that as "I would only rinse the inside of a whole poultry carcass". I would never ever rince pre cut chicken pieces, for example. Neither would I ever rinse any other meat at all and find the thought of it quite peculiar. Do you think it is a German-specific custom Nicky?
I always rinse my meat, but like you wrote, I never really thought about it. My mother did it, so I did it, too. Now I'm curious, why it's not good to rinse it!
Okay so I said no rinsing, but I do rinse sometimes... if I'm roasting a chicken, I untie it and rinse it and dry it beforehand. I don't generally bother rinsing anything else (sometimes other joints for roasting, but it depends what they look like really). My Mum does, so obviously that's something else that hasn't rubbed off on me.
To be frank, I had never heard about rinsing meat. I only rinse vegetables that I don't peel.
Really good question. Why should you rinse your meat? Not because of the blood (first, it is naturally not in the meat but in the vains. Second, it is no more in the vains, when the meet is cut.) And if you are afraid of the things that belong naturally to meat, you shouldn’t eat meat (in Middle Europe blood is even an ingredient in the meat cuisine). And as I like the animalic touch of meat that is in its natural „glaze”, so I don’t rinse it, if it is fresh.
In earlier time they washed meat because it was not very fresh or it was coverd with things to preserve. Not necessary any more, if you have a good butcher. Otherwise you had to wash mince at first, because it’s getting bad very fast. But who does it?
And it is the same with fish, some fish even shouldn’t be washed (Trout for poaching). Generally meat and fish for roasting or braising should never be rinsed. What I rinse: frozen chicken or meat with cut bones (like osso bucco).
i always rinse my meat-it gets the excess blood off and I feel it needs a little attention after being stuck under plastic wrap.
My sister worked in a poultry packaging factory for one day, and when she came home that day she advised me to always wash my chicken... I'll stop here, I don't want to ruin any appetites! Love your blog!
I agree with the last comment. Never occured to me to rinse it since it's being thoroughly cooked anyway. I never eat red meat though- I've heard one too many slaughterhouse stories. two words- upton sinclair.
Definately only the inside of poultry and fish.
I've always rinsed the meat, pre-packed or otherwise! My grandma and my mum does it.. so I do it to! I don't think it's a nation-specific thing, i'm from halfway across the world in south east asia!
To those that say you rinse to get the "Excess blood" off - It's ridiculous. That blood is part of what makes the meat so delicious!
Rinse depending on what store the meat came from.
It's interesting to read so many different opinions. My parents taught me to always rinse meat and I never really questioned it. Now I am going to rethink this action!
I wash EVERYTHING I plan on eating these days. And definitely meat...
I rinse poultry (I once read you should do so because of salmonellea) and meat on which I can feel parts of bones on it like osso bucco and lamb fillet.
I always know where the beef, pork, and poultry come from that I cook with as I buy directly from the farm. I rinse seafood but that's it.
Es kommt darauf an. That is, on what kind of meat, and where it's from. Hamburger, are you kidding? A nice beef tenderloin from Whole Foods, no way. But fish? Sure, because it's fish.
Okay, I am currently roasting a chicken...which has been rinsed in cold Colorado water. I will sleep better tonight having done so. All of my birds get a shower. But it does "depend" when it comes to red meat. -S-
I'd like to point out that the red liquid you find in the meat at the grocery store usually isn't blood. There is going to be some blood residue left over, but mostly its just water from melted ice, and the proteins that color meat.
Unless you eat your meats completely raw, all washing does is get rid of some moisture. And possibly some flavor. You'll cook off any bacteria. If you are worried about Prions (Mad Cow), it won't matter what you do. You can't cook out Mad Cow, unless you turn the meat to carbon, Prions don't cook out, or wash off.
The only time I rinse is if the meat has been sitting in my fridge for a few days, in a bag, opposed to in it's original wrapping. Or if I want to defrost without heat, for fish.
Overall though, rinsing just doesn't make sense if I'm going to cook it anyway.
Interesting point of views! I always wash my meat, basically because we've been taught at school (domestic economy), that it's the only way to get rid of small bone fragments.
i don't rinse my meat, but usually pat it dry with kitchen towel before cleaning/cutting it... just to avoid the juices dripping all over.
Don't really think you actually COULD get rid of salmonella or other bacteria by running over some cold water - the cooking process should finish most of that off, though!
Always! No matter what! In India, we sometimes rinse in turmeric water - turmeric is a natural anti-bacterial. And believe me when I say that I heard of salmonella poisoning only after I visited US. For all the third-world status, we have been safe from a lot of small 'epidemics'! Washing well sems good practice to me!
I do it with mushrooms too (in running water though).
I once asked a prominent food science writer about why you wash chicken if you're going to cook it afterwards, and he kinda screwed up his face and went...."Well....", which led me to believe that it was a good idea to wash it.
But recently health experts are advising folks not to wash chicken since the raw juices contaminate the sink and most people don't wash the sink carefully enough afterwards to kill salmonella which can lurk on sponges and the like.
I do the same with pork; raw fish or beef don't post the same hazards.
So now I start with a dish- (and sponge-free) sink, I wash the chicken, then afterwards clean the sink very well. And I'm still alive, so I guess I'm doing the right thing (and perhaps in training to become an honorary German!)
I'd never wash my meat for one simple reason.
If i don't cook the meat enough to kill the bacteria on the outside, i certainly won't have cooked it enough to kill any bacteria on the inside. Surely this is common sense!
I usually rinse poultry and seafood, then pat dry with a paper towel. I might rinse other meats if there is excessive liquid in the packaging. Otherwise, usually no.
First of all whovever said it was the blood which makes meat taste delicious is wrong...its the fat!!! I do bot recall any of my family rinsing meat. I have only done it under the suggestion that I should. If is remember, and it seems particularily "juicy" I will rinse the inside of a chicken ( etc) or, some fish...if they seem less than fresh....or much 'too' fresh....I have never rinsed red meat.
I have never washed any meat. In fact, I try to handle it as little as possible before cooking to prevent cross-contamination. I have seen chicken carcasses been rinsed on the inside though.
My friends mother swears by rinsing all fish and seafood and even sprinkling some salt over, leaving for a while and rinsing. She finds that often there is a faint fishy smell on frozen seafood and this completely cleans it out.
I even rinse minced meat!
I'd love to hear a little more about why the authors say that rinsing is the silliest thing to do. What is the title of the Essen & Trinken article?
As I recall, there was a rather chilling article about salmonella and chicken and home kitchens in Atlantic Monthly some years ago. (I just googled. The title of the article was "Dirty Chicken".)
The upshot of that article was for to assume that chicken is carrying salmonella and while it is raw, to keep it completely separate from anything else in the kitchen - immediately wash (with hot soapy water) hands, any utensils, sink, tap, handles, cutting boards once the chicken is placed in its cooking container.
-Elizabeth
P.S. All because of having to read "The Jungle" for an 'American Literature' course, it was years before I could eat sausages... and I still draw the line at hotdog wieners.
Hm, first I wanted to make a claim like „hey, Upton Sinclair’s Jungle was published a hundred years ago, twenty years before penicillin was invented. Things have changed! But then: mad cow disease, the German Döner Scandal and prawns fed with, yes, penicillin - it is not so far away. And it doesn’t matter, if you rinse it or not. Very interesting discussion, thanks d:d
I never rinse meats such as steak or pork, but I do rinse poultry and fish. I agree with David's comment re: sanitation. I use separate boards and tools for meats, esp. poultry and pork and thoroughly bleach them and the sink when I'm done.
Thank you for this nice write-up. You did some research work here! Bravo!
On another note, happy new year to you and your lovely blog!
Never wash any of my meat, just pat dry with a kitchen paper. The only exception is the whole poultry, and even then I only rinse the inside of the bird.
[...] P.P.S.: Passend zum Perlhuhn läuft auf delicious days gerade eine ser rege Diskussion mit Leuten aus der ganzen Welt darüber, ob man Fleisch vor dem Garen waschen soll oder nicht. Ich: eher nicht. Mehr hier. « AUS DEM MITTAGSSCHLAF: Am Boden[das Mittagessen davor] [das Mittagessen danach] [...]
I always wash meat, fish and poultry in lemon or vinegar water. I'm from the West Indies and this is the norm. After working with any animal product I sanitize everything the meat/fish/poultry may have come in contact with. Nothing grosses me out more than cooking shows or TV shows where meat is just taken out of the package and cooked. YUCK!
ejm, The topic was only covered in the sense of a short answer to a reader's question. Their main argument against washing meat is - as pointed out - the possible cross-contamination of hands, cutting boards etc.
I always wash meat, fish or poultry then pat them dry with paper towels. Also, all my poultry is then rubbed with lemon juice. Some meat has an off-flavor when packed in plastic wrap, especially if it has the "sanitary napkin" thing underneath it. My friends tell me that I'm exceptionally sensitive to off-flavors and smells, especially oxidation in beer and notice them in the smallest amounts, for what it's worth. I don't think there's anything that makes a positive contribution to flavor on unwashed meat. The exception is that I don't wash the meat again after I chop or slice it up. Depending what i"m cooking, I may even parboil first. As for the use of blood, it has to be absolutely fresh or it is unusable in my opinion. Where I come from (Okinawa), we make preserved pig's blood but as I said before if it ain't made from fresh blood, it's useless.
yesterday a friend of mine at work mentioned that they don't wash meat - i was quite surprized to hear - i have been in US for 20 years, and i never knew that you really don't have wash your meat - in India we definitely have to because of the handling of the meat over there is very different. we only eat boneless/skinless chicken and i cut into small cubes and wash at least 10 times in a big pan and a colander - then i spend 15 minutes to wash the sink and stuff. this washing process makes me not to buy chicken at all. i don't think i can even imagine eating chicken without washing - i will be very conscious about eating chicken outside from now on (not that i eat out anyway)
one more thing - one day i went to friends house, she was preparing ground chicken - i wanted to help, she told me to get the chicken from fridge and i automatically put it in a pot and started rinsing with water - she was shocked. i managed to get some meat out of that washing process. that's the reason i would never buy ground chicken - i can't imagine cooking meat without washing.
Wow, padma, although I am a little bit scary when it comes to raw chicken meat I am pretty surprised by your intense washing ritual. I agree: a chicken that has to be handled like this shouldn’t be cooked and eaten at all. Is it only for hygienic reasons or something religious too?
just hygienic reasons - nothing religious, at least i don't know any. you think this is bad - i wask my fish and shrimp with water 5,6 times and i wash with salt and turmeric again with 2,3 times and then rinse off again 2,3 times. I cook chicken, fish or shrimp on Sundays only and it is 3-4 hr thing - cut,wash, grind spices, cut onions and finally cook for 1.5 - 2 hrs.
I have ALWAYS WASHED ALL MEAT and always will. What is that slimy stuff on pork chops? This may sound a little paranoid but i have s sneaking suspicion that the US Government may be trying to reduce the world's population. As evident with the pharmacuetical companies.
Very interesting! I always washed my meat in India. The older generation in my family followed Padma's washing routine. Turmeric is always a key ingredient in any meat dish because it is considered to have anti-bacterial properties. Here in the US, I don't wash meat or seafood unless it feels slimy or is close to the expiration date or it has been thawed on the counter. I cook ground meat as is.
I've read arguments against washing because of contamination of the sink and the stuff around it because of inadvertent splashing. Several years ago I read that the dirtiest part of the house in the US is the kitchen sink!
If you're cooking the meat well, you should be killing all the salmonella and other bacteria that might worry you.
that's funny what Manisha said. Our house is 5 yrs old and everything looks very clean except my kitchen sink. Although i wash all my dishes every night and wash the sink every night and i still see little mold under the rim for the under mounted sink.
Never washed meat and never will. A bunch of people in my office said that they do and I had never heard of such a thing. I did learn a long time ago to always clean your cutting board, knives and mallots with bleach and water as there is a lot of harmfull bacterial in raw meat. The USDA says NOT to due to the potential spread of bacteria and to make sure that you cook your meat at the minimum temperature required to kill the bacteria. Washing does not kill the bacteria, only cooking does. And be SURE to wash your hands after handling meat.
I am absolutely stunned that people do not wash their food. The only meat I leave alone is ground beef because it's not practical, but you better believe I cook all germs out of it.
I think a lot of this depends on where you buy your meat. I have tasted a difference, when I've prepared chicken or beef not washed ahead of time.
The other thing that grosses me out on cooking shows lately is people pinching salt out of a bowl and then proceed to cook without stopping. There's no washing of hands before or after. What happens to the bowl of salt after the meal is prepared -- do they pour the salt back in the box for next time? (yuck)
We visited Lisboa for the first time ever this month and fell in love with it. Beautiful city, people, fado.
As for washing meat - never done so in my life, and I'm nearly 60 and not about to start. Poor sad hygienic Lisa.
Nick,
Perth Australia
I wash all meat because of what or who may have touched it on the outside, not the inside.
very interesting. i've never even thought about rinsing meat but i always rinse fish and seafood