The discussion on "whether to wash raw meat" has been on the Internet hot search many times, and we have always insisted on rinsing raw meat before cooking, is it all wrong to wash it?
Rinse raw meat under tap in
Many people buy meat home and rinse it directly under the tap, feeling that this will make the food cleaner and more hygienic. But in fact, not only can this not wash away the bacteria on it, but if the meat has Brucella, the splash of water may cause pollution to the kitchen.
Brucella is highly viable, surviving for months in dry environments and long hours in water. If a person inhales a carrier aerosol or has a wound on their hand, it can cause an infection.
So, the meat you buy home doesn't have to be washed? In fact, the meat we buy in the market is generally sold after regular factories, unified slaughtering, bloodletting, cleaning, and standardized treatment, and the safety of these meats is guaranteed. So the raw meat you buy home, as long as it is cooked, most microorganisms will be destroyed after heating at high temperatures.
If you are not at ease, or want to wash it again, you can follow the correct steps below to clean it:
(1) Soak the raw meat in water for a while;
(2) Put on gloves and wash with a small running water.
In addition, it is best not to use hot water when washing meat, otherwise it may accelerate the loss of some nutrients in the meat, and also affect the taste.
These two steps are done wrong, and they are health "killers"
Many people buy meat from the supermarket, put it directly in the freezer, and when they are ready to eat, take it out to thaw and cut a small piece, and then put the leftover meat in the refrigerator.
As everyone knows, such repeated frozen meat may produce a deadly bacterium in the meat, endangering life and health!
01
Repeated thawing and freezing, bacteria grow exponentially
During the repeated thawing and freezing of food, bacteria will multiply in large numbers with the change of temperature, and the food looks fine, but in fact it may have gone bad.
The TUV Rheinland testing and certification agency in Shanghai has carried out testing and verification, and in 5 days, the fresh meat is frozen and thawed to observe the trend of bacterial growth. After 4 repeated experiments, the total number of colonies measured last time was about 15 times greater!
02
Store raw meat, keeping four points in mind
(1) Throw away excess blood before storing the raw meat you bought.
(2) Cut the meat into several flat-shaped pieces and take them as you go, which is conducive to rapid freezing and thawing and reduces the risk of bacterial breeding.
(3) Raw meat eaten in a short period of time is kept in the lower layer of the refrigerator, and preferably on the back wall of a lower temperature; Meat that is temporarily inedible is placed in the freezer layer.
(4) Set aside a layer of space for raw meat, do not mix raw and cooked meat, and prevent germs in raw meat from polluting other foods.
03
Defrosting raw meat, the best method
(1) Refrigeration and thawing method: safe and nutritious
Refrigeration thawing is the most recommended method. That is, take the frozen meat out of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, put it in the refrigerator, and let it thaw slowly. This method is safe, nutritionally friendly, and good for taste.
In the cold storage room, raw meat rises to a maximum of 4°C, at which time the ice can melt, while oxidation and microbial reproduction are inhibited. And the meat is slowly melted in the refrigerator, and will not suddenly turn into a puddle of water, so the loss of gravy is less and the meat quality is maintained well.
However, the disadvantage of refrigerated thawing is that it takes a long time, and if you are ready to eat large pieces of meat, you may have to start thawing a day or two in advance.
(2) Microwave/air fryer thawing: safe and fast, but uneven
Most microwave ovens and air fryers have a thawing function, that is, they run at lower power. In this way, the thawing time is short, and the bacteria do not have time to develop and grow, so it is relatively safe. However, thawing meat in this way is prone to uneven heating. Finally, the outer layer is almost ripe, and the inside is still hard when cut.
(3) Cold water thawing: time-consuming, nutrient loss
This is the most traditional way to thaw. Cold water has a higher temperature than frozen meat and can help thaw; However, it takes a long time, about 1 hour or more, and it is easy to have the problem of microbial multiplication. And raw meat soaked in cold water for a long time, will lose a lot of nutrients, this thawing method is not recommended.
Having clarified how to store and thaw raw meat, the next step is cooking, and there is an indispensable item in cooking - a cutting board. Food safety incidents caused by substandard hygiene on cutting boards occur almost every once in a while. This is also a major health hazard for us.
Cutting boards – "distribution centers" for bacteria
The cutting board is not cleaned properly, and the diarrhea can be diarrhea at light, and food poisoning at worst, which is simply an "invisible killer" in the kitchen. Some relevant departments have found that on the cutting board mixed with raw and cooked, there are more than 4 million E. coli bacteria per square centimeter! Pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus also remain on the cutting board after the raw meat has been processed.
And like chopsticks, after the cutting board is used for a long time, its surface often leaves more knife marks, which is also easy to hide dirt, just soaked in boiling water, can not destroy the bacteria on it. Especially wooden cutting boards, strong water absorption, more prone to cracking, mold. Therefore, to ensure that the cutting board hygiene standards are met, two things need to be done:
(1) Raw and cooked partitioning board: Prepare at least 2 cutting boards at home, and treat raw food that needs to be processed and cooked food that needs to be directly consumed separately to avoid cross-infection of microorganisms.
(2) Keep it clean: Clean and dry the cutting board in time after use, stand or hang it in a ventilated place, and pay attention to keeping it dry. It is best to wash again with running water before each use.
Replacement time
Generally speaking, if you are using bamboo, wooden cutting boards, or live in very humid areas, it is recommended to replace them once every six months to a year or so. If the cutting board has obvious cracks or mold marks, it should be replaced immediately and not used again!