Do I need to wash raw meat before cooking - for minced meat, shish kebab?

Advice from Gourmet specialists

Our company oversees meat production technology from feed to the counter. We carry out strict laboratory control

and guarantee that the products meet the requirements of quality, safety, naturalness and purity standards.

Our meat is packaged in a factory where all sanitary standards are met, and transportation is carried out under temperature conditions.

Specialists of the online store "Gurmanin"

Raw semi-finished products from Gurmanin are sent to the fryer or oven, having been prepared according to the recommendations of our specialists:

Remove the meat from the store packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. Packaging materials are never reused and used towels are thrown away.
Slicing is carried out on a special cutting board designed for raw meat.
After use, wash knives, boards, countertops, dishes, and sink with hot soapy water (don’t forget about the kitchen faucet handle). The duration of hand washing before and after handling raw foods is at least 20 seconds.
During the cooking process, the temperature necessary to destroy microorganisms is maintained. The degree of doneness for beef and lamb depends on the type of steak being prepared and varies from rare (49-55 °C) to Well done (71-100 °C). Check the temperature in the center of the steak with a food thermometer.
In order for the fried marbled beef to reach condition and become tastier, it is allowed to “rest” for at least 3 minutes before serving.

It is worth noting that for most products we use blast freezing - rapid cooling of fresh meat in special cabinets. The method allows you to literally bring the temperature in the middle of meat cuts to -18 oC within 4 hours. Due to the high freezing rate, the crystals from the internal moisture are very small and do not destroy the cellular structure of the meat.

Risks

Cross contamination is a major risk of washing meat and poultry. Bacteria present in meat and poultry can cause illness if they enter the body.

Campylobacter bacteria can grow on many types of meat. Campylobacter infection is the leading bacterial cause of gastroenteritis, an infectious form of diarrhea, in the world. The most common symptom of this infection is diarrhea, which often contains blood. Other symptoms include: abdominal pain, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting. These symptoms usually last for 3–6 days.

Another bacteria that is commonly found in meat is salmonella. Symptoms of a Salmonella infection are similar to those of Campylobacter infections. In some cases, Salmonella infections can be serious and people may even require hospital treatment. These cases are more common in people with weakened immune systems, older adults, and children under 5 years of age.

Do I need to wash fish fillets before frying?

Fish But fish does not need to be washed. “It’s enough to wipe it thoroughly with a paper napkin: anyway, it will then be subjected to heat treatment or soaked in an acidic environment for carpaccio,” says Ilya Cherkashin, chef of the Balcony restaurant.

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What the chefs say

Experienced, educated chefs will never rinse raw meat. It doesn’t matter what it was purchased for: minced meat or barbecue. The chefs explain this for two reasons.

The first is to avoid spreading pathogens throughout the kitchen (this was already discussed above).

And the second reason is that meat has the ability to absorb water like a sponge, especially chicken and beef. Moisture-saturated chicken or any other meat is not able to form a crispy crust when fried. This is because the crispiness begins to appear at 110°C, and the water begins to boil at 100°C. therefore, it turns out that the product is not fried, but stewed in its own juice. Even if there is moisture on the meat, experienced cooks blot it off with paper towels.

Do I need to wash minced meat before cooking?

There is no need to wash meat and chicken before cooking - all bacteria die when these products are heated, chef Ivan Shishkin told Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda. ... According to him, before cooking it is enough just to inspect a piece of meat to remove particles of bones from it.

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Soak

But if you can’t wash it, maybe you can soak it to destroy germs? Experts say that this is as useless as washing. The fact is that the bacteria are quite firmly attached to the surface of the piece of meat and soaking them will practically not harm them.

If you need to soak the pieces for frying shish kebab, then it is important to do this carefully, and add a little vinegar to the marinade. This must be done so that the kebab is not always fried to the end. If there were bacteria on the meat pieces, then vinegar will help neutralize them.

Tofu with Minced Pork - 4 Easy Steps (with Proven Tips)

Tofu with minced pork is a homemade dish that is served in every Chinese family.

Did you know that tofu (bean curd) has an ancient history dating back two thousand years?

Legend has it that tofu was invented by Lord Liu An劉安, a prince of the Han Dynasty around 160 BC. The earliest evidence of tofu production was found in a mural carved on a stone slab.

Another theory states that tofu was an accidental discovery as crushed soybeans were mixed with sea salt. The mineral in the salt caused the soy mixture to curdle and turn into a tofu-like gel.

Today, you don't have to endure the terrible taste of gelled curds or agree with a historian about tofu's obscure origins. Follow this recipe and you can enjoy the best tofu recipe at home.

Tofu with minced pork - an easy recipe in just 4 steps

In this blog post, I will show you how to make tofu with minced pork, a homemade tofu recipe well received by the Chinese in Malaysia.

Tofu with ground pork is easy to make, and best of all, it's delicious with a bowl of fluffy hot steamed white rice. This is a very tasty dish that is still great even if you get it wrong.

Let's get started.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more information. I may earn a commission for purchases made through links in this post.

Step 1 - Prepare Ingredients

Soak the mushroom

First, soak the dry Chinese mushroom in water for at least an hour. The dry mushroom will rehydrate and become soft so that it can be easily cut into small cubes.

If you forgot to soak the mushrooms in advance, you can use hot water to speed up the rehydration process.

Don't throw away the water after soaking the mushrooms, it has all the flavor of the mushrooms. After soaking, keep the water and use it to make meat sauce later.

Chopped meat

I use pork in this recipe. It should have about 20% fat to make it more tender. Chicken is a great alternative for those who don't eat pork, but the meat is drier.

Shredding the meat by hand using a knife is the best option, but you can use a food processor to get the job done. The texture of grinding it is somewhat different from mixing it with a machine. I, of course, prefer to cook it by hand.

Mix two tablespoons of vegetable oil and half a teaspoon of cornstarch with the ground meat and set aside. Ground meat mixed with vegetable oil and cornstarch has a smoother texture.

Step 2 - Deep fry the tofu for added flavor and texture

Carefully remove the tofu from the box. Carefully place it in the frying basket. Deep fry in hot oil for about five minutes or until golden brown.

This method is my favorite way to prepare a tofu dish because it creates a layer of chewy “skin” on the surface that contrasts sharply with the soft texture of the tofu.

To fry the tofu to form a layer of skin, use medium to high heat. Carefully place the tofu in the air fryer basket and deep fry at 190°C/375°F until golden brown. Because tofu contains a lot of water, it will take longer to brown than fried chicken or fish. The temperature of the oil should be high enough so that the outer layer dries quickly and forms a thin and crispy “skin” that effectively “blocks” the moisture from seeping out of the tofu.

Deep frying also adds extra flavor to the tofu. I especially like the chewy “skin” created after deep frying, which has a different texture and flavor than tofu.

There are two tips I want to share with you when frying tofu:

Don't be tempted to move the tofu around in the frying basket too often, as they can break easily . You can hold the basket by the handle and shake it slightly to prevent it from jumping out of the basket.
If you don't have a frying basket, buy one. Otherwise, you can add oil to a large frying pan to fry the tofu. Move it around slightly for the first minute to prevent the tofu from sticking to the bottom. Leave the tofu in the basket until it cools. Place it on a plate and carefully cut it in half. Move the tofu around slightly until it looks like two blocks.

Step 3 - Making the Sauce

Fry the garlic and onion in vegetable oil over low heat until fragrant. Since garlic browns faster than onions due to its higher water content, you need to sauté the onions first and then add the minced garlic after a minute.

Then add the minced meat to the garlic and onion and fry on low heat . Since it contains cornstarch, it will stick to the wok/pan easily on high heat. Once the meat is no longer sticky, you can increase the heat for another minute to get that signature stir fry flavor (wok hei).

Then add mushrooms and remaining ingredients. Stir and stir until it forms a thick sauce. Now he is ready for the last stage.

Step 4 - Cover and Decorate

Drizzle hot sauce over tofu. Garnish with chopped green onions and chilies.

You can watch the two videos I uploaded earlier to show you how to prepare the chillies and onions for garnish.

Video demonstrating how to cut chili peppers.
Video demonstrating how to prepare onions for garnishing.

Tips and Notes on How to Make Tofu with Minced Pork

Here is a list of helpful tips for making tofu with minced pork.

Types of tofu

There is no fixed rule about what types of tofu are in a recipe. You can use any type you like, just as if you were choosing pasta to cook with a creamy sauce. However, tofu with a firm consistency is easier to handle as it is not easily broken into pieces. You may have other choices in your accommodation location. Do your research and see the results with different types of tofu.

Steam and braise tofu with minced pork (alternative method)

Steaming

Since tofu is already cooked when purchased, some restaurants in Malaysia serve the tofu chilled with hot meat sauce as a topping. before serving. When you bite into the hot sauce and cold tofu at the same time, the sensation is incredible.

Please note that the water in the tofu will continue to flow out from the cold tofu. Drain the water from the plate before adding the meat sauce so it can be served undiluted.

Extinguishing

Mapo tofu is one of the typical examples of stewed tofu. You can check out my mapo tofu recipe for a detailed explanation.

To make mapo tofu, simmer the tofu with the meat sauce rather than using it as a filling. The tofu is usually cut into smaller cubes and mixed with the sauce. As a result, the tofu often breaks down into smaller pieces due to mixing it with the sauce. The tofu will absorb the flavor of the meat sauce.

Other Common Ingredients

Some other common ingredients for the ground pork tofu recipe include fermented soybean paste and broad bean paste , both of which impart a much stronger savory flavor.

Other frequently used ingredients are dried Chinese mushrooms , Chinese pickles and French beans .

I like to include some Chinese pickles that contrast sharply with the subtle flavors of the meat. As for the French beans, they add crunchy freshness to the dish.

Garnish

Decorating tofu with minced pork is relatively simple.

Add a generous amount of coarsely chopped onion on top of the tofu just before serving. The scallions have a crunchy texture much like lettuce, which is a welcome complement to the subtle flavor of the meat sauce.

You can also sprinkle fried shallots on top of the meat sauce before serving. It has a distinct aroma and pairs perfectly with the flavor of tofu.

Now it's your turn to decide. Do you prefer using meat sauce as a filling or simmering tofu? Let me know by leaving your comment below.

Recipe for tofu with minced pork

Cooking time 10 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

Total time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients A

Ingredients B (seasonings)

Sliced red chilies and green onions

Instructions

Soak the mushroom in warm water until it is soft. Remove the stem and cut it into small cubes.
Cut square tofu in half, deep fry in hot oil at 190°C/375°F for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Fry the onion and garlic in vegetable oil until it becomes fragrant. Add the mince and cook until fragrant.
Add mushrooms and seasoning (Ingredients B) until sauce thickens.
Place the tofu on a plate and pour the minced sauce over it.
Garnish with chopped red chillies and green onions. Serve.

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The nutritional value:

Productivity:

Serving Size:

2 servings Amount per serving: Calories: 908 Total fat: 61 g Saturated fat: 15 g Trans fat: 1 g Unsaturated fat: 15 g Sodium holmehalogen: 15 g 5 g Protein: 72 g These data were
provided and calculated by Nutritionix on March 29 2019

To wash or not to wash

Everything is clear with bacteria, they are dangerous and multiply quickly. But what if microbes enter the human body after cooking? This situation is practically excluded, since 99% of pathogenic microorganisms die during heat treatment. The only condition: meat products must be well cooked or fried so that bacteria do not hide among the fibers.

Should I wash raw meat before cooking if the surface is dirty? If dirt (sand, soil, wool, feathers, etc.) is visible on a piece of chicken or other fillet, then such a product, of course, will have to be washed. But this must be done while following some rules. Place a deep pan filled with water in the sink. Carefully place the piece in there and rinse it well, without splashing water around you. After the meat is washed, it must be transferred to another container and the water carefully drained, avoiding splashes. The same method can be used if a piece of meat needs to be washed from small bones.

Do I need to wash meat before preparing minced meat? This situation is no different from the previous one. Before getting to the table, the minced meat will still undergo temperature treatment (cutlets, cabbage rolls, meatballs, etc.). This means that all microorganisms in it will die without a trace and will no longer be able to cause harm.

Do not rinse chicken fillet before freezing. Moisture significantly reduces shelf life; the fillet will become weathered and lose its taste.