When meat is cut by companies like Boutique Meats, a professional quality slicer is generally used to achieve optimal results. They also have strict rules concerning the size and thickness of the meat, which is why many customers speak so highly of the brand. There is always a focus on health and safety. When cutting meat at home, there are also guidelines for health and safety that should be followed. Below are tips for cutting meat that you should incorporate into your kitchen habits.
Wearing gloves that are cut-resistant.
Even if you are cutting meat at home for food consumed only by you and your family, it’s still important to wear gloves. However, instead of the standard gloves worn for cleaning and other household activities, you’ll need to get cut-resistant gloves for optimal safety.
Eliminating any distractions.
It’s common to multitask when in the kitchen – everyone does it. When you’re cutting meat either with a slicer or a knife, it’s imperative that you eliminate any distractions. Failure to do so can result in devastating injuries.
Maintaining a clutter-free work area.
Cleaning the kitchen before you get started with cooking or any other task should be a standard that you always follow. When you’re cutting meat, you should most definitely remove anything else from the cutting board or whatever surface is used for slicing. You want to avoid anything that could get in the way or create an unsafe situation.
Following best practices for cleaning surfaces.
Most people have a preferred method of cleaning their home, including the kitchen. When it comes to handling meat, it should be done with caution because you want to ensure the meat is clean and surfaces where the meat was cut is sanitized. You also want to ensure your meat slicer and the knives used to cut the meat is cleaned.
The choice of cleaning solutions is yours because you can essentially use any product that works well at cutting grease. However, there are some experts that recommend using soapy water that’s hot and then using a sanitizing solution followed by a thorough rinse.
Putting away knives when not in use.
If you choose to use a meat slicer instead of a knife to cut meat, you should always ensure the slicer is unplugged and in the locked position when it isn’t being used. Failure to do so can result in an injury, especially when other people are in the kitchen and unaware of how sharp a meat slicer and certain knives can be.
Avoiding cross-contamination.
It’s generally understood that juices from raw meat can contaminate other foods, such as fruits and vegetables. If it’s not cleaned properly, harmful bacteria can result in illness. What usually happens is the surfaces where meat is cut are not cleaned according to the aforementioned cleaning practices and ready-to-eat foods are contaminated. Many experts recommend using a different cutting board for meats than what’s used for all other foods.
Washing knives separately.
A common cause of injury in the kitchen is placing knives in the sink with other dishes and being unable to see them because the water is soapy. While this seems like something that wouldn’t happen given the clear danger of sharp knives, it’s a common reason why people are injured in the kitchen. To avoid this issue, it’s best to clean knives individually without placing them in soapy water.
Handling a falling knife.
Cooking can be a lot of fun, but there are also many dangers. One of those dangers is handling too many things at once, which can result it things falling to the ground. In the event that you lose hold of a knife, simply allow it to fall because trying to catch a knife will likely result in a severe injury. It goes without saying that you will also need to ensure it doesn’t fall on your foot by stepping away if possible.
There are many ways to ensure safety in the kitchen when cutting meat. The main thing to keep in mind is the importance of paying attention and remaining focused on the task at hand, especially when knives are involved.
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