Washing meat???

[Orrin]

Well, as of the day after tomorrow, Kellee will have been here in the U.S. for 22 months. Although she has acclimated well, both on her job and in regular social environments, there are a few habits that she brought with her from China that I just can’t seem to break her of, or get accustomed to myself. Perhaps the most annoying one is that of washing meat before she cooks it. The other night I brought home a pair of beautiful, 1.5 inch porterhouse steaks which were destined for the BBQ grill. As I was passing through the kitchen with a bag of mesquite chips in hand, I was horrified to see her WASHING my two beautiful steaks under the kitchen faucet. Apparently, she just can’t grasp the facts that food which is purchased from any American supermarket is prepared in far more sanitary conditions than it would be in any of the wet markets in China. Has anyone here encountered a similar situation? If so, how have you dealt with it?

[david_dawei]

I knew a girl in Flushing, NY who would boil the pork in hot water for a minute before cooking it... Gave it an flat gray look...

[Dan R]

This custom is seen in all places with poor sanitation. Even the owners here where I work insisted on it the first 15 years they were in the U.S. (from Israel). Now they don't ask but prefer it be done. This is childhood conditioning which is very hard to change. It is basic concept of what is clean. Not only cleanliness but also to wash out coagulating blood from poor slaughter practices which makes it spoil and taste disagreeable.

 

Goodluck

[tonado]

Nothing wrong with that. I wash my meat before I cook it.

[david_dawei]

Nothing wrong with that.  I wash my meat before I cook it.

136489[/snapback]

I was going to ask.. and I guess I am now ... does washing it really do anything to it... meaning, make it more or less anything? Cook better or worst; marinade better or worst, etc ?

 

I mean cooking wise, not sanitation wise...

Edited July 14, 2005 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[frank1538]

At least she's eating good ol' beef and a fine cut at that. Jingwen is not a steak eater, but she still washes her meats and uses the water soaking method to thaw. Surprisingly, while she washes the food, she'll leave the leftovers out overnight, her theory being once it's cooked, it's cooked - kinda like the nursery rhyme: "peas porridge in the pot, nine days old."

[david_dawei]

At least she's eating good ol' beef and a fine cut at that.  Jingwen is not a steak eater, but she still washes her meats and uses the water soaking method to thaw.  Surprisingly, while she washes the food, she'll leave the leftovers out overnight, her theory being once it's cooked, it's cooked - kinda like the nursery rhyme:  "peas porridge in the pot, nine days old."

136492[/snapback]

true.. I experienced this most every day of two months in china... at least they will usually eat the leftovers, and the next day(s) !

 

Zixuan just made porridge the other day... she said made too much and then said, "so I eat porridge all day". I took it to mean that she will eat this and nothing else till it is all gone !

 

I should add.. Zixuan doesn't have a refrigerator.. so of course everything is always left out !!

Edited July 14, 2005 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[pkfops]

I do it often, especially if there are a lot of juices.

 

As long as cold water is used it should not be a problem.

 

Paper towel dry on the bottom and top for a few minutes and they

are good to go.

 

I always brush on my Korean BBQ sauce and let the meat come up

to room temp before grilling.

 

Good Luck with ground beef though.

[johnxiaoying]

I always wash steaks in cold water before cooking them. The butcher shop uses a saw to slice through the bone and meat, leaving particles of bone along the way. Often times the side of the meat that is face down in the package is not cleaned, they always put the pretty, clean side face up to entice you to buy.

[Dan R]

In the U.S. where slaughter involves quick draining of blood unless you see clots or bruising, there is no value to washing. In fact aggressive washing is risky. The bacteria level does not reduce from rinsing in cold water. Agressive washing is more likely to result in bacteria being worked into the meat where it won't be killed by cooking rare to medium rare. The main effect is to reduce the beefy flavor which is carried in the blood. Since searing the outside of unwashed meat kills surface bacteria (harmful pathogens are surface not internal bacteria) it is preferable to washing which can carry it below the surface. Meat that is dry will not support bacteria growth well but wet meat left for a couple hours will have many times the level of bacteria. Trimming any suspect spoiled areas off is much safer than washing.

 

My job title is Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager.

[Dan R]

I always wash steaks in cold water before cooking them. The butcher shop uses a saw to slice through the bone and meat, leaving particles of bone along the way. Often times the side of the meat that is face down in the package is not cleaned, they always put the pretty, clean side face up to entice you to buy.

136507[/snapback]

Scraping the side with saw dust is safer. The spine contains high levels of bacteria and so T-bone or Porter House will spoil quicker than Boneless cuts. Traditionally meat was wrapped in cheese cloth and left on a butcher block for the day. The cheese cloth wicks away moisture delaying spoilage. Wet meat wrapped in saran wrap and placed in a refrigerator over 40 degrees will spoil faster than the wrapped meat in a 70 degree room for two or three hours.

 

The fat may turn rancid but this is a different condition of oxidation. Washing has no effect at all on the fat.

[Dan R]

Cooked foods left out are only safe until recontaminated. This comes from all surfaces and the air. The fat will continue to oxydize and in a couple days taste rancid.

 

A good rule is that any moist protein will develop dangerous levels of pathogens within 4 hours left at 75 degrees.

 

The advantage in Chinese cooking is that high temperature oil is used which more thoroughly kills the bacteria. Steaming is not complete in cooking. Using lower oil temps will result in bacteria remaining to develop. So don't encourage low temp frying if they insist on leaving things out.

[HanLi]

I am so paranoid of food left out..... it will find its way in my trash can quickly.... sounds like some educating for both of us is in the future..

[jim_julian]

WOW! I bow in the direction of the goat!!

 

Now a short story ...

 

standing in an alley, while lao po went deeper in the alley to bargain for veggies (they will charge double if they see a megworan!) I was watching a lady selling ducks. Dead plucked ducks ... of course. Most of those selling meat had the fan with the string on it to lash over the meat and ostensibly discourage flies. This poor lady was not equipped with such a high tech device ... however, she did have a backup ... a fly swatter. With great vigor she swatted flies as they landed on the nude ducks and then, keeping the best interests of the customer at heart, she flicked the smashed fly parts off the dead ducks so said ducks would be errr "clean" for the customer. Sigh ....

[nygatl15]

I wash all my meat, fish and anything else that comes from the outside.

It won't hurt the meat and it gets the slimy feel off some meats.

 

At first I thought you were going to say she put soap on it