When working as a homemaker, you will often see this scene at the meat shops: the seller frequently uses a cloth to wipe each piece of meat. Many of us may wonder why the seller has to meticulously use a cloth to wipe the meat like that. Some people believe that this action helps to keep the meat clean and more attractive to customers. However, the truth about the action of using a cloth to wipe meat may be unknown to you.
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The reason sellers use a cloth to wipe meat
According to Associate Professor Nguyen Duy Thinh (former lecturer at the Institute of Biological Technology and Food, Hanoi University of Technology), using a cloth to wipe meat is a common practice for sellers at most seafood markets. When displaying large pieces of meat like that, in order to attract customers, sellers use a cloth to wipe the meat. This action is based on two main reasons.
First, using a cloth to wipe the meat helps to absorb excess blood from the meat. We all know that after the pig is slaughtered, excess blood remains on the surface of the meat pieces.
If not wiped clean, they will dry out, and the meat pieces will look pale and unattractive. Naturally, such meat pieces do not attract customers.
Therefore, sellers will prepare a cloth to gently wipe the surface of the meat pieces from time to time, removing the excess blood and making the meat pieces fresh, attractive, and more appealing to customers.
Second, using a cloth to wipe the meat helps to absorb water. Because customers always want to buy fresh and juicy meat pieces, many sellers may spray water onto the meat. This helps to keep the meat fresh, appealing, and eye-catching.
Not to mention, many shop owners who engage in commercial fraud will inject water into the meat to increase its weight and make more profits. When water is sprayed or injected, it is difficult to prevent water leakage later on. If the meat pieces are sold to customers as they are, it will be easily detected. At this time, by frequently using a cloth to wipe the meat, the cloth will absorb the leaked water. The meat pieces will always remain dry, fresh, and more attractive.
Using a cloth to wipe meat at manual meat shops is recommended, but it must be done correctly
According to Associate Professor Nguyen Duy Thinh, using a cloth to wipe the meat makes the meat pieces fresher and more delicious. Therefore, this practice is encouraged. However, it must ensure food safety and hygiene. Each seller should have several cloths to use during a selling session. After each session, the cloths should be discarded and replaced with new ones. Or if reused, they should be washed and dried for the next use. In this way, the new meat pieces will ensure food safety and hygiene.
Tips for choosing fresh and delicious pork that everyone going to the market should know
According to Associate Professor Nguyen Duy Thinh, using a cloth to wipe the meat is good, but just understanding these tips for choosing pork will prevent you from buying spoiled and unhygienic meat:
– Color: Fresh pork has a vibrant pink color. When you press your finger into the meat, it should feel warm and not release any water. Injected pork, on the other hand, loses its pink color and appears paler. When pressing your finger into the meat, you will feel it cold, and water will leak out.
– Firmness: Fresh and delicious pork will feel elastic when you touch it. The outer membrane of the meat will be dry and sticky. In contrast, injected pork will usually be flabby and lack elasticity.
– During cooking: Delicious pork will remain firm when cooked. When marinating the meat with spices, the meat will be dry and not release any water. Injected pork, on the other hand, will shrink when cooked, release a lot of water, not taste good, lose its distinctive flavor quickly, and become spoiled.
– Look at the layer of fat under the skin of the meat: If the layer of fat is thin and loose, it should be avoided. Usually, lean pork is fed with chemicals, so the layer of fat is very thin, sometimes less than 1cm, while normal pork fat is about 1.5-2cm thick.
– Pork containing ractopamine and clenbuterol often has a different, bright and shiny red color. It should not be purchased.
– Cut the meat into sections that are as thick as 2-3 fingers. If the meat is soft, cannot stand upright on the table, it is likely that the meat has been injected with growth-promoting substances.
– Observe the connection between the lean part and the fat part of the meat. If you see a distinct separation and yellowish liquid leaking out, it is definitely super lean meat.
Translated from PNVN
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