To wash or not to wash, that is the question!

[jokensmoken]

I person ally don't rinse meats, I figure unless your washing with water hot enough to kill bacteria your not washing it off the meats your just spreading it around, again my opinion.

You're right... but I rinse, not to eliminate contaminates but more for visualbappeal and easy of handling and processing. I find many large pieces of cryovac packaged meats look a bit bloody and less than appealing (to me) and are a bit slippery when unpackaged and since they are usually removed from the packaging in the sink, I give the meat a quick rinse before patting it dry...

 

[chef jimmyj]

Organizations like the USDA that set guidelines like, Don't wash Meat, assumes that everyone is an Idiot. Frankly after manning a Turkey Help Hotline for several years at the Culinary School...LOTS of folks are Clueless!
If you have a Working Knowledge of Food Safety, as most of our members do, just from ready Safety Related Posts here, you will know to exercise Caution as you rinse your meat, avoid splashing water around, then Clean and Sanitize the work area with1Tbs Bleach in a Gallon of Water. You will have no issues if you are Careful...JJ

 

[johnmeyer]

I personally don't rinse meats, I figure unless you're washing with water hot enough to kill bacteria you're not washing it off the meats you're just spreading it around, again my opinion.

I don't think rinsing is supposed to kill bacteria but instead is supposed to flush them off by removing the surface layer of "stuff."

I've already stated why I don't follow the recommendation to not rinse poultry, but what I didn't say is that this recommendation seems to be completely at odds with the recommendation that we thoroughly rinse produce. I don't think anyone rinses produce in HOT water, and therefore is not expecting pathogens to be killed by heat, but instead the point is to rinse off anything clinging to the surface that might harbor bad stuff.

Aren't these safety groups worried about THAT bad stuff spraying all over the place? This is especially true because many people actually scrub their vegetables with a brush, something which creates all sorts of little droplets that spray all over the place.

Are there more pathogens on chicken than on produce from an organic farm? I have absolutely no idea, but I'm sure there is some chicken that is hardly contaminated, and there is some produce that is covered in bad stuff (and vice versa).

I am always wary of advice that directly contradicts other advice given from that same source.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Chicken because of mechanical processing, we have to assume that Salmonella and other bacteria, always contaminates all the birds. Beef, Pork, Lamb is Hand Processed and Washed frequently to remove/avoid contamination from any gastric or fecal matter that can contain, E-coli and Clostridium Botulinum, among others. Add the extensive HACCP controls and monitoring and these meats can be Vac-Pack aged and stored for Weeks, without spoilage. Between being grown in CB laden dirt, being fertized with organic manure fertilizer containing E-coli and who knows what else, it is far more likely Fresh Veggies are more frequently contaminated with bacteria compared to red meat. While some veggies are pre-washed or irradiated, there is still a chance that washing veggies can contaminate other surfaces. Back to basics, Work Safe, you will BE SAFE...JJ

 

[dr k]

Getting a plan down where at least there's a stack of disconnected paper towels at the sink, the rack in the roasting pan next to the sink and an open garbage can at your feet next to the sink before the bird comes out of the fridge to be placed in the sink in it's original packaging. Then the rack/pan is a cleaning station for the turkey with paper towels and I can clean the pan and rack one at a time more easily than gripping a slippery wet bird under the faucet. If I roast the turkey on the rack in the pan then I'll clean it after cooking but if smoking on the smoker rack it's easier to clean each one at a time for me vs. a whole bird.

 

[GaryHibbert]

We seldom get whole birds--usually just breasts and thighs in Costco sized packages. We ALWAYS rinse the chicken parts off and pat dry. I do all the separating and vac/sealing into meal size portions for the two of us. By the time I'm done my hands are feeling pretty slimy. So before cooking the meat is rinsed. Chicken is the only meat we rinse off.
We're careful not to make a mess and always clean everything afterwards.
This has worked just fine for my family for the last 70 years.
Gary

 

[Carvendive]

I always rinse. Poultry cavities ALWAYS seem to have something loose in them that I just don't want. Bone in meat is a must because all too often I seem to be tho one to find a bone fragment and the last thing I want is for a guest or my wife to find one. Fish, just because.