Handling raw meat - constantly hand washing

[Anonymous]

Maybe I’m a germaphobe, but I always thought you should wash your hands whenever you touch raw chicken, beef, or eggs

But in cooking shows I often see a chef pat down a steak toss in the pan and just grab the handle and spatula and go to work. Do they keep track of what surfaces they have touched so that when they plate the meat they just toss everything in the wash and wash hands at end?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2SEIqdmV-yM

My MO is to handle raw meat like ground beef or chicken thighs or crack an egg, then wash my hands immediately and then grab utensils and pan handles etc for the cooking phase. But for some recipes I touch the meat multiple times so I feel like I’m CONSTANTLY washing.

What techniques do most people use, am I being too neurotic?

[Anonymous]

Most people are filthy. You are correct to wash each time you touch raw meat or eggs.

[Anonymous]

I've literally seen a doctor lick their fingers while cooking without washing.

[Anonymous]

You are correct. Wash not only your hands, but any utensil knife or surface that touched the raw meat or egg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've literally seen a doctor lick their fingers while cooking without washing.

Yeah this is why potlucks are Russian roulette! At least in restaurants they have processes and inspections, home chef it’s all on them…

[Anonymous]

I don't think I'd go by what you see on cooking shows. A cooking show that showed people washing and drying their hands over and over would be annoying to watch. So they either edit out the parts where the cook/chef is washing hands, or they skip it for time and just assume people can figure out on their own that they should wash their hands after patting down a steak.

I wash my hands before and after touching pretty much any food I'm preparing, but especially raw meat.

[Anonymous]

I tend to wash my hands a lot, but it does depend on what I'm cooking. If I put a steak that I'm cooking to medium rare in a pan and the touch the handle, I'm not hugely worried because I'm going to eat the middle of that undercooked anyway. Chicken would be a different story.

I've also seemingly never gotten food poisoning from my own cooking so I guess what I'm doing is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tend to wash my hands a lot, but it does depend on what I'm cooking. If I put a steak that I'm cooking to medium rare in a pan and the touch the handle, I'm not hugely worried because I'm going to eat the middle of that undercooked anyway. Chicken would be a different story.

I've also seemingly never gotten food poisoning from my own cooking so I guess what I'm doing is fine.

As a kid I ate raw hamburger often. Steak is even safer since less cross contamination.

But the inside of the steak hasn’t been exposed to the same environment as the surface, which is why it’s safe to eat it very rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are correct. Wash not only your hands, but any utensil knife or surface that touched the raw meat or egg

+10000 people are filthy you need to wash your hands and clean the area that had the raw meat then wash your hands again.

[Anonymous]

Being sensible is one thing, but some of the comments on here are insane. Accusing others of being filthy? You know what, anyone who uses the bathroom is automatically filthy.

I wash after handling meat, but I also know people who are not as strict about it and still make delicious food without poisoning anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've literally seen a doctor lick their fingers while cooking without washing.

Well, if whatever they are making is going into a pan or oven and will be heated through to at least 160, then any germs from their mouth will be killed by the heat, so there really isn't any contagion problem. If they're making something like salad, that's a different story, but even then it's only a problem if they then use their bare hands to pick up the food -- if they are consistently using utensils instead of their fingers, there's no contagion risk. I do sometimes lick my fingers when baking, but I'm also not sticking my bare fingers into the food.

[Anonymous]

Yes I wash my hands a lot. But I also have a lot of tongs so I can use them for meat and just throw in the dishwasher. I don’t have to touch the meat that often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've literally seen a doctor lick their fingers while cooking without washing.

Yeah this is why potlucks are Russian roulette! At least in restaurants they have processes and inspections, home chef it’s all on them…

I hate to break it to you, but I think you are vastly overestimating the "processes" in a restaurant kitchen.

[Anonymous]

I always wash in hot water & soap after raw meat. If I MUST touch something while prepping the meat - like a jar of spices or bottle of olive oil - I hold it with a paper towel.

[Anonymous]

It's good to clean your hands regularly while handling raw meat and eggs.

BUT there are very low chances that you will get sick from skipping this unless you NEVER wash your hands at all. The bacteria should be low, because your meat is cold. It takes time for it to multiply to levels that are infectious (or could make you sick). So acting like raw meat or eggs is literal poison is a bit over the top too.

Wash your hands while cooking, but scrubbing with hot water and soap every 15 seconds is not going to give you any benefits and will leave you with dry skin.