Blood

[Babylove]

I always thought only the old testimant referred to it being important to not eat the blood of animals, and I thought it was because it was unclean so now it is ok to eat animal blood because of what Jesus said in Matthew 15:11, as well as some other books in the new testiment. I recently found out that I was wrong about that, there is another reason why we shouldn't eat blood, and it is mentioned in the new testiment after Jesus' resurrection that we should not eat the blood of any animal.

Anyway, to my point. Because of what I believed, I have never taken care to make sure I am washing the blood out of any meat I eat. Lets say I am cooking a steak on the bbq. I will take it out of the package, put it on a plate, season it with different seasonings, and then put it on the bbq. There doesn't seem to be much blood in the meat to begin with, so is it possible that by doing this, any blood left in it will evaporate while it is cooking and I am not actually eating the animal's blood...or is there still blood in the meat and I really am eating it? (if it makes a difference, I never eat meat that is less than medium well to well done)

If I wash the meat before cooking it, will that get rid of all of the blood? If I do have to wash it to get rid of all of the blood, how long and thoroughly should I wash it to make sure there is absolutely no blood left?

Also, if you have to wash meat to make sure you don't eat any blood at all, how do you wash hamburger meat? Wouldn't it just fall apart if you hold it under the faucet?

Thanks for any replies

Edited May 15, 2007 by Babylove

[Guest LadyC]

some people still eat kosher meat, particularly those of jewish ancestry. but i'm not sure "kosher" is just about the blood, because the way kosher meat is marketed these days i kinda get the impression it is more about the clean portions of meat, no byproducts, no organs, etc.

in any case, you aren't sinning by throwing a bloody steak on the barbie.

[Babylove]

Thanks for your reply

I believe I shouldn't eat any blood because of what is written in Acts 16:20 "Instead we should write a letter telling them...not to eat any animal that has been strangled, or any blood" So, after Jesus' resurrection, the bible is clearly telling us we are not to eat any blood. Because of this, I want to make sure I am taking steps to follow this rule and I would like to find out if there is still some blood in the meat once it has been cooked. If so, I want to make sure to wash my meat every time before cooking it.

(Oh, and I want to add that I'm not trying to say that anyone who eats blood is wrong, but simply that - based on this verse in the bible - I want to make sure to avoid eating any blood myself)

Edited May 15, 2007 by Babylove

[Vickilynn]

Shalom,

You can kasher meat by soaking in salt water to remove all blood.

Or you can choose certified Kosher meats. If it is Kosher, it has been bled completely.

It's not only the type of meat, but the procedure for butchering (it is compassionate)) and care of the animals afterwards to make sure the meat is blood-free and clean.

[Babylove]

Thank you

How long do I have to soak it in salt water to remove all of the blood? Would overnight be good enough, or should it be something like at least 24h?

Do I need to add a whole lot of salt, or is a moderate amount enough?

Thanks again

Edited to add: is there blood in pre-made hamburger patties (ie if I get a big mac from McDonald's, does that mean I am eating blood?)

Edited May 15, 2007 by Babylove

[Vickilynn]

Thank you

How long do I have to soak it in salt water to remove all of the blood? Would overnight be good enough, or should it be something like at least 24h?

Do I need to add a whole lot of salt, or is a moderate amount enough?

Thanks again

Edited to add: is there blood in pre-made hamburger patties (ie if I get a big mac from McDonald's, does that mean I am eating blood?)

Shalom babylove,

To be honest, to the best of my knowledge, any meat that is not certified "Kosher" has not been handled according to Biblical and Rabbincal standards and might contain some blood.

Here is some information on Kashering at home:

http://www.ou.org/kosher/primer.html

Here is just an excerpt:

II. MEAT & POULTRY PROCESSING

A. Shechita:

The Torah requires that meat and poultry be slaughtered in a prescribed manner known as shechita. The trachea and esophagus of the animal are severed with a special razor-sharp, perfectly smooth blade, causing instantaneous death with no pain to the animal. Only a trained kosher slaughterer (shochet), whose piety and expertise have been attested to by rabbinic authorities, is qualified to slaughter an animal for kosher consumption.

B. Bedika:

After the animal has been properly slaughtered, a trained inspector (bodek) inspects the internal organs for any physiological abnormalities that may render the animal non-kosher (treif). The lungs, in particular, must be examined in order to determine that there are no adhesions (sirchot), which may be indicative of a puncture in the lungs. If an adhesion is found, the bodek must further examine it carefully to determine its kashrus status. It should be noted that in addition to fulfilling the requirements of halacha (Jewish law), the bedika of internal organs insures a standard of quality that exceeds government requirements.

C. Glatt Kosher:

Though not all adhesions render an animal non-kosher, some Jewish communities or individuals only eat meat of an animal that has been found to be free of all adhesions on its lungs. "Glatt" literally means

[Guest LadyC]

can i just ask.... does taking the blood out make the meat taste dry? i'm picturing shoe-leather....

also, why is it called kAshering to make something kOsher?

[Vickilynn]

can i just ask.... does taking the blood out make the meat taste dry? i'm picturing shoe-leather....

also, why is it called kAshering to make something kOsher?

Shalom ladyC,

Have you ever brined a turkey? If you have, you'll know that the salt soak actually locks the moisture IN, so the turkey is juicy and moist.

Same thing here.

Kashering Koshering. You say tomAYto and I sat toMAHto!

Seriously, some say Kashering as a verb and once it's Kashered, it's Kosher. Kasher = "to make Kosher."

Some say Koshering as a verb and a noun.

[Guest LadyC]

thanks for the explanation! can't say i've ever had brined turkey. i like peppered turkey and fried turkey though, do those count?

[Vickilynn]

thanks for the explanation! can't say i've ever had brined turkey. i like peppered turkey and fried turkey though, do those count?

Shalom LadyC,

Sure, it all counts, just invite me to supper. I love turkey!