Do you guys wash meat before you cook?

[Azami]

I just saw my mom wash bacon in the sink and it reminded me something from my nutrition class, you're not supposed to wash meat or infect surfaces and cause foodborne illness. Told my mom about it but she dismissed it.

[Violeta]

Originally posted by Your_White_Knight:

Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:

All the germs would be killed off once you cook it anyways.

Exactly... that's why we cook it, there's no other real reason to do so...

Flavor, texture, so we don't look mad because we are covered in blood.

[Vinz Clortho]

Had this disagreement on a date. She came to my student digs for dinner and took the chicken fillets I had bought, cut open the packet and poured them all into the sink. I hit the damn roof. I literally did the washing up that morning and just rinsed the bowl with cold water. I didn't bleach and disinfect it, there's still microbes & droplets of dirty washing up water in there.
The meat is already bleached & washed to within an inch of it's existence when you buy it. You don't need to wash it again lol especially not in most people's kitchen sink.

[A&A]

Why?
When you cooked the meat at 180°C, it is impossible to have something left.
Let's say the Salmonella. If it reach above 60°C or 150°F, it is dead.

But yeah, washing doesn't hurt.

[Insomniac Jack]

Originally posted by Jericho:

Originally posted by Insomniac Jack:

One of my parents is a food scientist (with degrees in microbiology) and tends to rinse meat with water before cooking, but I find it to be overly cautious. I never wash my meat, but always rinse fish.

I'm actually curious if food scientists know proper food handling/safety practices because I only learned this from nutrition just recently.

It falls within their line of work, so definitely. Although I have never seen anyone washing bacon before, seems rather redundant since it's generally cured, unless you like it less salty. Also, regarding spoilage when food is exposed to water, this only happens over time.

[TWPanda77]

No, you should not wash / clean / rinse meat before you cook it. There is no reason to do so and if you do you are potentially spreading harmful bacteria to surfaces and your sink.

[Azza ☠]

Originally posted by Jericho:

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

You shouldn't wash meats, such as bacon or chicken.

Not only is it counterproductive to wash meats, as the cooking progress will be destroying germs anyways. It's more likely to spread any germs around the kitchen during the wash.

That's why professionals will have two different cutting boards, one for raw and the other for cooked meats. Never share the same surface for both raw and cooked. You wash the cutting boards afterwards, not the meat itself.

Washing bacon will just get rid of the surface salt. Bacon is high in salts, which leads to a more crispy cook. It should be as dry as possible. Salt helps dry it.

The only benefit of washing bacon is if it was frozen together with ice, to help defrost it and get rid of that ice, before pat drying with a paper towel and re-salting. Most bacon is vacuum sealed in the package, so you wouldn't have that problem anyways.

The thing is, I'm actually concerned about the next time I cook meat (which I actually don't do) and the last thing I want to worry is try to cause bacteria on surfaces or have it spread to other foods or myself.

Most people leave meats out on the bench to defrost, which is even worst for germs to develop, if not 100% vacuum sealed.

Newer model fridges have a -3 degree 7-day meat compartment. So you don't have to defrost them. No frozen ice. Bacon can be separated instantly, etc.

Thoroughly cooking chicken, poultry products, and meat destroys germs. So consider the cooking process the most.

Bacon is a low risk and generally cooked to a very high temperature. Salt and Nitrates are commonly found added to bacon are used as a preservative, which also prevents bacterial growth.

[A&A]

Originally posted by TWPanda77:

No, you should not wash / clean / rinse meat before you cook it. There is no reason to do so and if you do you are potentially spreading harmful bacteria to surfaces and your sink.

Great Tip: One hand cooks and the other cleans.

[Electric Cupcake]

Jaccard tenderizing, yea or nay? Some say by disrupting the surface, surface bacteria is pushed inward; others say cutting the channels lets heat penetrate it better.

Probably both, so it balances out, but you'd damn well better be extra careful when low-temp sous videing.

[Azami]

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

Originally posted by Jericho:

The thing is, I'm actually concerned about the next time I cook meat (which I actually don't do) and the last thing I want to worry is try to cause bacteria on surfaces or have it spread to other foods or myself.

Most people leave meats out on the bench to defrost, which is even worst for germs to develop, if not 100% vacuum sealed.

Newer model fridges have a -3 degree 7-day meat compartment. So you don't have to defrost them. No frozen ice. Bacon can be separated instantly, etc.

Thoroughly cooking chicken, poultry products, and meat destroys germs. So consider the cooking process the most.

Bacon is a low risk and generally cooked to a very high temperature. Salt and Nitrates are commonly found added to bacon are used as a preservative, which also prevents bacterial growth.

Damn. Thanks.

[Hugh Jasz]

never thought id learn about food preparation updates from steam lol

[kilésengati]

Before cooking, fish I clean, sour and salt. Some organs I also clean before cooking. If meat was frozen or from dubious sources, I cook it thoroughly. But cleaning otherwise clean-looking muscle meat by washing is something I've never heard of until now and I never got sick by not cleaning my... uhm... not gonna say that.

[Kobs]

Yep, like water these days is a lot cleaner than your meat lolll.... I thought I heard it all

[Tsubame ⭐]

Sometimes, if I need to quickly unfreeze them.

Washing meat anywhere will not do anything. You are overthinking this.

Just clean the surfaces and whatever you touched after you are done.

And by wash I just mean rinse.

I do not think soap and food belong together no matter the food you are handling lol.

Reminds me of one time I brought nice fancy hotel soap from Japan. The packaging was top notch. Someone comes over, thinks it is a cookie (packaging is in Japanese) and next thing I hear is a loud "WTF" lol.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

I don't wash meat. What i do is leave the meat (hamburger, steaks, ribs ect.)in it's packaging and let it sit on my counter top to thaw out for a few hours. Or i will put it in the sink and let hot water run on it for 3 to 4 hours while in it's packaging. Once it's thawed i'll throw it in the skillet.

[kilésengati]

Originally posted by SnakeFist:

I don't wash meat. What i do is leave the meat (hamburger, steaks, ribs ect.)in it's packaging and let it sit on my counter top to thaw out for a few hours. Or i will put it in the sink and let hot water run on it for 3 to 4 hours while in it's packaging. Once it's thawed i'll throw it in the skillet.

Last time I've checked you are supposed to thaw in the fridge and definitely not by running warm water over it for hours.