Do you wash beef / pork joints before cooking?

johanne

nope - was told it spreads the bacteria round your kitchen.


this is from American food safety people but same as I heard:

Washing Food: Does it Promote Food Safety?

Historically, we equate washing to cleanliness. We wash clothes, linens, cars, dishes, and ourselves. So, it is logical that many people believe meat and poultry can be made cleaner and safer by washing it. Is this true? Does washing meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, and vegetables make them safer to eat?

Washing Meat and Poultry
Washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination.

Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe. However, some of the bacteria are so tightly attached that you could not remove them no matter how many times you washed. But there are other types of bacteria that can be easily washed off and splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen. Failure to clean these contaminated areas can lead to foodborne illness. Cooking (baking, broiling, boiling, and grilling) to the right temperature kills the bacteria, so washing food is not necessary.

Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria. Cook all raw beef and veal steaks, roasts, and chops to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/washing-food-does-it-promote-food-safety/washing-food

Jacksmummy

I always rinse mine under the tap but after reading Johanne's post don't think I'll bother in future.

Gigervamp

Nope. Never washed meat and I don't remember my mum doing it either.

marleyboy

Have never rinsed off meat, the nearest to a wash a joint of beef would get is if I immerse it in water to help defrost it.

My Mother used to wash meat prior to cooking it, but I used to always think it would dilute the flavour of the meat. Perhaps its more a case of me not wanting to touch raw meat, but washing the meat is something I don't do, the cooking process will kill any germs anyway.

mioliere

I was always told not to wash a joint, or poultry, before cooking for the reason given by Johanne above, cross-contamination. I watched a programme once that showed what happened in a kitchen when a chicken was washed and patted dry, and the bloody water had splashed and spread over a vast area of worktop and several utensils.

kippers

I knew about not washing poultry but never thought about any other meat until today. Well my beef is in the oven without washing it and if I keep posting on this forum then you will know I have lived to tell the tale lol.

Thanks for all your replies, it's another thing I have learnt from this forum

Callie22

Johanne, that's exactly what I was told in my food hygiene training. I never wash meat and I'm still alive

peachyprice

Nope, never wash meat, just bung it in the roasting tray. Although if it's from a vac pac I do pat it with kitchen roll as the blood seems sticky when packaged like that.

I have a friend who washes all her meat, she even washes mince in a sieve before cooking it.

Parsimonia

No, I've never washed meat and neither has my mum in over 70 years of cooking weekly Sunday roasts, and it's never done any of us any harm.

POPPYOSCAR

Never heard of washing a joint of any description before cooking.