A non-vegetarian may like chicken over mutton or vice versa, but what remains prime is that both the types of meat are versatile and are used in a wide variety of recipes. Meat recipes are an integral part of Indian cuisine. From fine dining restaurants and cafes to dhabas and even at home, one can find countless versions of popular meat recipes. Be it Butter Chicken, Chicken Chettinad, Rogan Josh, and Mutton Keema or your lip-smacking snacks - including chicken wings and kebabs - the chewy-textured food cooked in a pool of spices is on everyone’s list of absolute favourites.
However, cooking meat at home can sometimes be a daunting task. While at restaurants, one can expect all sorts of cooking ingredients, utensils, equipment, and appliances, it is a different game altogether at home. From cleaning the meat and marinating it to cooking time, it takes hours to put together a meat dish at home. If you are dreading cleaning the meat before cooking, we are here with some easy tips that you can follow.
1. Use salt water
Adding a dash of salt to the warm water in which the meat is soaked can help to clean the meat tissues as well as remove bacteria. Following this, simply rinse the meat in cold water to preserve its texture.
2. Opt for vinegar
Vinegar is a multipurpose ingredient. It is also one of the most popular acids for washing meat. The presence of citric acid in vinegar reduces the volume and amplification of bacteria on the surface of the meat. Vinegar can be used to remove the bacteria on top of the meat and ensure a clean cut.
3. Pick a lemon
Lemon is one ingredient that can add flavour to any dish, and keep it fresh for long. But besides that, lemon juice has been known to be helpful in lessening meat-borne germs and preserving the flavour of cooked meat. While cleaning, you can use lemon on the cuts to make them bacteria free.
4. Preserve in an airtight container
Once the meat is completely dry, put it in an airtight container and seal it. This can help the fresh meat to last a week if kept in the fridge. Just make sure to change the original packaging in which it has arrived.
5. Avoid cross contamination
Any dirty surface can transfer bacteria to raw meat, resulting in the food getting contaminated with germs. So, if you want to avoid that, use a clean surface or a plate. Do not keep the raw meat on a table, a slab, or a dirty utensil.
