OK so I'm not 100% greatest cook.
My mother-in-law washes all of her meat.
I wash my whole chickens and turkeys.
Is she going over baord about germs or is she doing the right thing?
Hi there,
I've heard in some of those cooking shows in the Food Network, that is actually not necessary to wash pultry, because when cooked properly, the heat kills al the bacteria.And if washed, the real problem in the contamination of the surfaces, like sink, counters etc.That is what you really need to be careful about.
I hope it helps, happy cooking!
A.
I wash poultry because it's slimy when I take it out of the package. But honestly, you don't need to do any washing because if you cook meat properly (to the correct temperature) the cooking process kills bacteria/germs. As an earlier poster said, not properly cleaning surfaces that come in contact with raw meat is the bigger problem!
She's probably going a bit overboard. I do turkeys and chickens too. However, if she's not immediately cleaning her sink and counters thoroughly afterwards, there's a big problem (bigger than unwashed chickens, I'm afraid).
I wash all meat b4 I cook it because that's the way my dad taught me. Seems like most people dont, but based on what Ive seem going on behind the butcher's counter at the market, it's probably a good idea. Not everything your MIL says is wrong!!!!(J/K) :)
I usually only rinse off poultry and fish.
Pork...depending on if there's a "slimy" film...if there is I don't usually eat that at all...ha!
and Beef....never...it ruins the flavor.
IMHO I'd yes she's going overboard, but to each their own I think.
I lived in the West Indies ( third world) for 12 years. Meat is bought fresh and unrefridgerated from baskets carried on the heads of local marchands. It is customary to take sour orange slices or lime slices and use them to wash meat thoroughly before cooking. I later learned that this both tenderizes the meat and kills parasites.
With salmonella and e-coli, questionable sanitation and handling in packaging ( and in spite of cooking temperatures), it surely doesn't hurt to take that extra measure. I don't always do it here in the U.S.A. but it never hurts to score points with one's mother-in-law!
