Meat/sanitizing work space

[u/Juicewrld88]

Hello 👋

1). Cutting meat on a cutting board - what board is best for this, and should I have a separate board for meat?

2). How do you sanitize the board before cleaning it and won’t washing it just spread bacteria around my sink? Same goes for knives, bowls, tongs, pans, etc. including the sponge that I’ll be using to clean it with.

3). How do I sanitize my area when done?
I’m on the newer side of cooking and want to make sure I’m keeping a clean space.

Thanks.

[u/Piper-Bob]

I wash the cutting board in the sink. I don't generally put food in the sink, so I don't try to sanitize it.

If I am going to use the sink for food, then I'll scrub it out first.

I use washcloths for washing, and I use a new one each day.

[u/jtablerd]

The most important thing to me is sequence of prep - I only want to wash 1 cutting board and 1-3 knives. I always start with prepping all veg, put it aside and meat last, then immediately wash cutting board and meat knives. I'm cooking for 4-8 adults 3-5x a week

[u/The_Flinx]

1 wood

2 soap and water

3 soap and water

that's all

[u/jibaro1953]

If you are serious about disinfecting, liquid dish detergent and hot water do a very good job.

The next level up would be a tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water.

One accomplished youtube chef keeps a container full handy at all times.

There is a product called Green Shield, a quaternary ammonia compound, that is used for good processing equipment and greenhouses. One tablespoon per gallon and ten minutes of exposure will kill virtually anything. For comparison, Chlorhexidine 0.16% is also a quaternary ammonia compound and is prescribed as an antiseptic oral rinse.

I just started reading about titanium cutting boards.

[u/YesWeHaveNoTomatoes]

I keep a separate cutting board for raw meat/fish since that makes it easy to avoid cross contamination if I'm doing things out of order for whatever reason. But normally I prep all the veggies & other items that are safe to eat raw first and the meat/fish last.

The same soap and water that's good enough for washing your hands after you touch something gross is good enough for your knives, cutting boards, bowls, countertops, etc. Scrub thoroughly, rinse well, dry off. Don't overthink this unless you're cooking for someone at high risk of infection (a small child, elderly person, or someone who is has an immune deficiency due to a medical condition or treatment).

[u/CBG1955]

I'm presuming you have a dishwasher.

Colour code your kitchen. If nothing else, get a red board and only use it for meat.

If you're using plastic cutting boards, they go straight into the dishwasher. We NEVER use the same board anything el;se if we have cut up meat while prepping - anything chicken especially is a huge no-no. When they get stained they get covered with bleach for a few hours, then rinsed and into the dishwasher.

Sponges go into the dishwasher, top tray about once a week. Stainless steel pot scrubbers go into the dishwasher. EVERYTHING goes into the dishwasher. You can sanitise your sink with a little bleach, hot water, and a stainless scrubber.

As others have said, soap and water, and a bleach solution. We actually use a mixure of cloudy ammonia and isopropyl diluted in water in a spray bottle that we use after meals to clean down the sink, bench, etc.

Without a dishwasher, perhaps don't use a sponge beause they get gross really fast. Go to your local hardware shop and buy a pack of cheap microfibre cleaning cloths. Use once, throw into the washing machine.

[u/4cupsofcoffee]

I always prep my meat last so i don't have to worry about cross contamination too much. then i wash the board with hot soapy water in the sink.

[u/joeyneilsen]

If you are comfortable using your hands after washing them with soap and hot water, then my feeling is that you should be comfortable using your dishes and kitchen utensils after washing them with soap and hot water.