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How to clean/wash chicken breast or steak?

11 years ago

I'm really new to cookie and because I'm one of those that afraid of germs and bacteria, I want to ask you that when I choose a chicken breast or steak from a supermarket, do I need to wash it first to get rid of impurities before preparing and seasoning it? and how does one do it?

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Comments (10)

TM8492
Original Author
11 years ago
^ It's suppose to read: "I'm really really new to cooking"
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
Are you in good health? Anyone you are cooking for have a health issue?

dcarch
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I make this and freeze all the time without the biscuits: I've also made it with boneless breast, just bake for about 20 minutes and check that they are cooked through! Chicken Stew with Biscuits 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on 3 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 2 chicken bouillon cubes 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions) 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups) 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley For the biscuits: 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced 3/4 cup half-and-half 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly. Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.
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lindac
11 years ago
You planning on cooking that steak or chicken breast? Putting it over a hot fire or in a hot pan? That will kill all germs that you could possibly wash off.
Now what you DO need to be concerned about is the bugs that grow after you cook it or which are endemic in the chicken....that is 'inside" the meat.....and that's why you cook chicken to an internal temp of 160, and don't leave food sitting out of the refrig for more than 2 hours.
I don't wash meat, unless it has obvious bone chips from the saw or bits of blood....or I sprinkle it with cinnamon instead of chili powder!!
agmss15
11 years ago
I sometimes rinse meat with vinegar and blot dry - freshens and rinses off package juices.
annie1992
11 years ago
Nope, I don't wash meat or chicken. As mentioned, cooking will destroy any organisms on the exterior of the meat. Ground meat should be especially cooked to a safe temperature as you don't know what pathogens might be introduced in the grinding process. Beef, pork, chicken, whatever, could all be ground on the same grinding surface and who knows what else could added.

I grow my own beef so I'm comfortable eating it nearly raw, but even growing my own chickens I make sure I cook them to 160F and then let it rest to finish cooking. Pork used to be cooked to death, but trichinosis is killed at 138F so above that is good.

The only time I rinse meat or chicken is when I have a coating that I want to stick and it sticks better to meat that's been moistened or dipped in a wash of some type.

Annie
laceyvail 6A, WV
11 years ago
If you're new to cooking, you may not realize that your greatest danger is from cutting boards or plates that you placed the raw meat on. Wash those very well!
grainlady_ks
11 years ago
You should be able to glean some helpful information from the link below. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA - Safe Food Handling Fact Sheets
stir_fryi SE Mich
11 years ago
In all my years of cooking - I have never "cleaned" raw meat before. Totally unnecessary.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
11 years ago
Hi & welcome to Gardenweb. I don't blame you one bit for subconsciously wanting a cookie it seems. Fear of eating contaminated food is a good reason to cook at home MORE! I've never once gotten sick from eating something at home, but have definitely gotten food that made me sick from restaurants.

Always check the date on meat. Fresh meat should not have any unpleasant odor. If you open a package of meat that has a wrong smell, don't cook that for dinner. Chicken parts (the meat, not the skin if any) should be pink. Same with steak, but a darker pink, there should be no gray or differently colored areas. Any package of meat that is leaking juices is not wrapped well and I avoid those. Also, any package of meat that has a larger amount of moisture/juices is just going to cost more than it should. Liquid is heavy.

If you don't trust a steak to eat rare, don't buy that one. Ground beef should be cooked thoroughly, and although hopefully it is not, kitchen sanitation regarding it should assume it is contaminated with bacteria (which are killed by cooking but need to be cleaned from sink and utensils.)

Rinsing any raw meat is more dangerous to kitchen sanitation than not because it contaminates your sink, and probably the faucet handle. Agree, anything that touches raw poultry, pork, ground beef should be washed immediately. A utensil you used to manipulate raw meat should be washed before you use it again to touch the cooked meat.

When I'm going to touch raw meat very quickly, I turn the faucet on first so I don't have to touch the handle to wash my hands. If I'm going to have my hands in the meat for too long to waste running water, like mixing up a meatloaf, I lay a paper towel on the handle. When ready to wash hands, use the paper towel to turn on the faucet, drop it in the trash, then wash hands.
cloudy_christine
11 years ago
I do wash chicken. But I am very careful about clean-up. I disinfect the sink and counter afterwards, and the faucet if I have touched it.
Meat that has been cut and may have bone fragments, like steaks or chops, I wipe with a wet paper towel.

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