Because I'm curious

[fredericks]

[Poll #1805554]

When I was taught to cook, I was told that meat must always be cleaned with lime or vinegar and then seasoned ahead of time. ALWAYS. On pain of death. Or something along those lines. And my mom and I watch with eyebrows raised as chefs on various cooking shows pull poultry out of a plastic bag and start in with whatever.

Comments

[karenjeane.livejournal.com]

If it's sealed in plastic and not expired it should be fine to cook w/o additional cleaning. Seasoning is ideal, though.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

It's been ingrained in me that you must clean and season. Straight salt and pepper doesn't cut it. Which is why I try to prepare steaks that we get our hands on, because my mom wields steak sauce like it's an essential part of the cooking process and not a condiment.

I get the sense that we cook this way because of a history of getting meat products that weren't too fresh.

[captainschlumpy.livejournal.com]

I might occasionally season depending on what I'm doing with the meat but I never clean it unless the fish is fresh caught and I have to clean it in the first place (descale, gut, etc) I've never heard of cleaning with lime or vinegar. It might add a nice flavor to the food though.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm sensing the liming is not too common. But we do it all the time.

I have never had to descale a fish. And don't ask me to use a butcher's knife. My mom's accuracy with one of those things is terrifying, which I'm always afraid I'll cut my fingers off.

[utopiantrunks.livejournal.com]

I never even heard of that. My father's the meticulous one and the cook who actually makes snazzy as opposed to utilitarian food, but even he doesn't clean the meat.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

Heh. Heh. You said "clean the meat."

Hi, I'm 5. :)

I'm thinking it's a cultural thing, that we were used to getting meat products that weren't too fresh, so we'd hit them with a light acid/citrus element and wash them to fresh them up before cooking. I just can't imagine preparing stuff any other way.