Kashered meat – use salt in moderation

SUZANNE BELLING
 

Reader Sonja Bulkin highlighted this in her letter to the SAJR (see letters page), pointing out the dangers of excessive sodium intake.

Kosher butcher Ian Lurie, director of Nussbaums, stressed that halachically, meat had to be salted in coarse salt for one hour “to get the blood out” in order to comply, but he added that his meat was rinsed three times in buckets to wash out as much salt as possible.

“With regard to our hamburgers, Viennas and polonies, we use less salt in our recipes to counterbalance the higher salt content.”

Although the Beth Din has not been asked to change policies on salt usage for health reasons, Rosh Beth Din Rabbi Moshe Kurtstag, told Jewish Report: “We are quite happy to be accommodating and to lower the salt content, providing there is no contravention of halacha.”

Trevor Wainer, manager of Maxi’s Discount Butchery, feels people sensitive to salt – which includes saltpetre – could avoid processed cold meats in favour of roast beef if they were worried about the salt content. “Red processed meats tend to be higher in salt content because of the pickle mix and sodium nitrate we use. With fresh meat, one can always wash away the salt.

“However,” Wainer added, “we don’t have many complaints and we sell tons of processed red meat.”

Cape Town doctor, Sol Lison, warned about consuming too much salt if one suffered from hypertension. This can aggravate the condition,” he said.

He advised that meat be thoroughly soaked and one should not add salt to food. “One should avoid Viennas and all forms of sausage and processed meat over which one has no control and never use more on food which already has been seasoned.

“It is difficult to avoid salt altogether, but one can tolerate 2,6 grams – about one teaspoon of salt – per day. Salt should not be added to prepared food,” he said.

Johannesburg dietician Shirley Norman said that kashered meat should be repeatedly rinsed to remove most of the salt. “Rinse at least two or three times and, with chicken, remove the skin before cooking as one finds most of the salt on the surface.”

She advises consumers to buy bigger cuts of meat – “do this rather than buy cubes as then there is a bigger surface of salt. One can always cube a large cut of meat at a later stage.”

Cooking in gravy further removes salt, “but don’t eat the gravy with the meat”, Norman said.

She also warned of the dangers of a high salt intake which included heart and kidney problems, stroke and high blood pressure.

Agreeing with the doctor, she said salt should be cut down to one teaspoon per day