Is there a need to rinse off beef cuts prior to cooking?
We recommend that people do NOT rinse meat (or poultry) before cooking. In fact, the meat would become waterlogged, making it soggy and less flavourful. Meat (and poultry) is ready to use right out of the package. If there was any bacteria on the outer surface of the raw meat or poultry, the rinsing procedure could potentially cross-contaminate your sink. This would be especially problematic if you then washed fruits and vegetables in the sink (without sanitizing it first) and ate them raw. The high temperature reached during cooking destroys any bacteria that is potentially on foods. The best way to tell if meats and poultry have reached proper doneness temperatures is to use a digital rapid-read thermometer to check the internal temperature in the centre of the food. For more information, refer to the safe food handling section of the site.
