What is the purpose of washing pork?
I've read in a few recipes, especially ones using gelatinous parts of pork like the head and trotters, that long rinsing under running water, and several changes of water soaking is called for.
Why is this?
Why does this practice seem to be unique to pork?
Thanks
Best Answer
A book I have (Thai Food by David Thompson - a fantastic book, by the way) suggests washing pork and even blanching in boiling water for any dishes involving boiling/stewing/poaching, as it creates a clearer broth with a clearer flavour (author's words, not mine).
I have found I am less likely to get scum and surface impurities in the dish as it cooks.
Pictures about "What is the purpose of washing pork?"
Quick Answer about "What is the purpose of washing pork?"
Meat and poultry are cleaned during processing, so further washing is not necessary. Never use soaps or detergents on your meat or poultry products. They can contaminate your food with chemicals and make it unsafe to eat.Why do you wash pork?
Don't rinse meat before cooking. Many people believe you should wash or rinse raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking, but it's actually not necessary. Any bacteria that might be on it will be killed during the cooking process.Does washing meat do anything?
Washing raw meat with plain water is ineffective at removing bacteria and may cause more harm than good by spreading foodborne pathogens to other foods and across cooking surfaces.Do chefs wash meat before cooking?
Does washing raw meat make it safer? According to the USDA, it's not recommended to wash any raw meat before cooking. Not only does it not remove all bacteria, it also causes the bacteria on the meat to get on the sink or other surfaces that get splashed in the process of washing.How To Wash Your Pork Meat At Home | Recipes By Chef Ricardo
More answers regarding what is the purpose of washing pork?
Answer 2
People frequently wash meat out of a sense of cleanliness. This is unnecessary: you can't wash off bacteria, and even if you could, you're going to miss anything that has penetrated the meat. Bacteria will be killed by cooking, not washing. All it does is get bacteria-laden water splashed around your kitchen. There are efforts to get people to stop doing that:
https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/campaigns/campylobacter/fsw-2014
I haven't seen recipes calling for soaking trotters or head. It's possible that this is older advice, since these parts are rarely cooked now. These parts will have more crevices for actual dirt to be retained; it would generally be washed off in processing, but if you're getting it from a non-factory processor, it's possible that they've retained some of the dirt the animal was standing on.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: RODNAE Productions, RODNAE Productions, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska