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Storing meat the right way
What does the usual morning Eid-Ul-Azha rush look like for the regular household? From finishing morning prayers; initiating and overlooking the entire sacrificial rituals and butchering issues, to the processing and distribution of the meat, and finally figuring out all the managerial melodrama related to stuffing packets of meat in the freezer. Phew! I think the glass on the stress-o-meter just cracked and the cattle has not even been bought yet!
Amidst all the rush, the focus turns to optimising storage space in the freezer when really it should be all about proper processing and packing of the meat to ensure no liquid spillage, keeping the meat intact for a longer period of time and maintaining the overall hygiene of the freezer too.
Here are a few tips and tricks to ensuring a meaty Eid-Ul-Azha and days of never-ending feasting!
In order to stop the fridge from smelling, always debone the meat before storing it.
Before packing it into the fridge, make sure all the blood has been washed out of the meat pieces.
Get rid of the fat and trimmings in the pieces to regulate your own cholesterol levels.
Right after the meat has been processed during qurbani, do not immediately store the meat in the fridge. Let it stay out in normal room temperature for 3-4 hours before storing it.
To keep the taste of the meat fresh and intact, wash the meat properly and then add salt, masala, vinegar and store in the fridge.
Pack the meat properly before putting it in the fridge.
Store the meat in clear plastic air-tight bags in comparison to boxes.
During the distribution of the meat, ask yourself if it really is necessary to keep more for your loved ones? After all, if you can afford qurbani, then you can definitely spare to give away more than you need to keep. A very convenient and easy way to simplify the storage process is to use paper tape to label your bags. This reduces chances of confusion, as well as letting you know which bag has what kind of meat in addition to which packet goes to which house or to the poor.
This Eid is a different kind of special, especially since it comes down to not only taking care, but the eventual end of the formation of a bond with a being that you very well know will be sacrificed for the greater good of all.
Photo courtesy: Bengal Meat
Information source: Bengal Meat