How to Handle Raw Meat Safely: Should You Wash Meat Before Cooking?

Many families are used to rinsing raw meat thoroughly under the tap, sometimes washing it several times with salt. But food safety agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually advise against washing raw meat. Here is how to buy, prepare, store and cook meat so your family meals are both delicious and safe.

Why You Shouldn't Wash Raw Meat

Food poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter can cling to the surface of meat, especially poultry. Rinsing meat with water doesn't remove them, and the splashing water can carry bacteria to your sink, cutting boards, dish towels and foods eaten raw, like fresh herbs and cucumbers. The only way to kill these bacteria is to cook the meat to the right temperature.

If you need to rinse off bone fragments or leftover feathers, use a gentle stream of water to avoid splashing, then pat the meat dry with paper towels and clean the sink right afterward.

Buy Fresh Meat From a Trusted Source

Buy meat from places with a clear source that keep it refrigerated. Fresh meat has a natural pinkish-red color (pork) or bright red color (beef), with white or pale yellow fat. The flesh should be firm and spring back when pressed, with no unusual smell. Avoid meat that looks grayish, feels slimy or is sitting in a lot of liquid.

When shopping, pick up meat last and get it home as soon as possible. Keep it in a separate bag so the juices don't drip onto your produce.

What Does Blanching Meat Do?

Briefly blanching meat and bones in boiling water, then discarding that first batch of water, is a familiar trick before boiling, braising or making broth. It removes some of the scum and gamey smell and gives you a clearer broth. However, blanching is no substitute for cooking: the meat still needs to be cooked thoroughly afterward.

Keep Your Kitchen Clean and Avoid Cross-Contamination

• Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before and after touching raw meat.
• Use separate cutting boards and knives for raw meat and for cooked food and raw vegetables.
• Wash cutting boards, knives and the sink with hot water and dish soap after preparing meat.
• Never reuse a plate that held raw meat to serve cooked meat.

Cook to the Right Temperature

Color isn't always a reliable sign that meat is safely cooked. If you have a thermometer, the USDA recommends these internal temperatures: whole cuts of pork, beef, veal and lamb 63°C, followed by a 3-minute rest; ground meat 71°C; chicken, duck and all other poultry 74°C.

Store Meat Properly

Put meat in the refrigerator (below 4°C) as soon as you get home. Use ground meat and poultry within 1–2 days and whole cuts within 3–5 days; if you won't use it by then, divide it into small portions and freeze. Thaw meat in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature, and keep it on the bottom shelf so its juices don't drip onto other foods.

Just remember a few simple rules: don't wash raw meat, keep your tools clean, cook it thoroughly and keep it cold. That way you'll protect your whole family from most of the risk of food poisoning from meat.