Chapter 10 בלח the Removal of Forbidden Fats)
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ד״סב TORAHMIND S Growth Through Structured Learning Source Sheet Chapter 10 בלח The Removal of Forbidden Fats) רוקנ Veins, Arteries, Glands, Membranes and Tendons After the slaughtering and inspection of the lungs, the major blood vessels, and .nikur/ רוקנ forbidden nerves must be removed. This process is called Certain fats found in kosher domestic animals are assur m’deoraita. These fats are .chelev, and are found in all varieties of cattle, calves, sheep and lamb/ בלח called בלח / Chelev The Torah forbids the eating of chelev/restricted fats of animals that would be eligible to be sacrificed as a korban in the Bet HaMikdash. In Vayikra 7:23 the Torah states: " לכ בלח רוש ו שבכ זעו אל ולכאת " “You shall not eat the fats of ox, sheep, goat” .It is isur karet to eat these forbidden fats . ברק נ ו ת / These are animals fit for sacrifice The educated kosher consumer must bear in mind that the level of kashrut of the meat we purchase is not determined only by the examination of the lungs. The forbidden fats which we call chelev, according to our custom, includes the removal of not only the actual chelev but also various parts of the animal that touch the chelev- fats that may be confused with chelev, and those parts whose nutrition comes from chelev. Different communities have practiced and handed down from generation to generation different chelev removal traditions. Sephardim must follow the Sephardic custom in removing that which is considered chelev. The Kosher Kitchen SEMESTER 2 – LESSON 3 1 MRS. BONNIE MANSOUR ד״סב TORAHMIND S Growth Through Structured Learning Source Sheet The Gemara specifies the location of the forbidden fats. Most of the forbidden fat is found in the hindquarter of the animal. Removing the chelev is a painstaking task and requires a high degree of religious responsibility, anatomical knowledge, training, and skill. It is very difficult and time consuming. It has become traditional in most of the western world, to limit use of kosher meat to the front quarter of the animal that extends to the twelfth rib - the respiratory area. Not selling the hindquarter as kosher eliminates sciatic nerve). Intestines) דיג השנה the extremely tedious process of excising the chelev and the used for kishkas must be scraped clean of fats. The liver must be scraped and cleaned of fats. Chelev/fat is forbidden for consumption, but not for other purposes, so we may bathe with soaps that contain chelev, lard, or animal fat. Consuming forbidden foodstuffs after they have spoiled to the point of being unfit for consumption by animals carries no prohibition. An example of this is soap that we use for our dishes; they do not need a hechsher but should be rinsed very well. Nowadays there are many dishwashing soaps that have kosher supervision. New pots are sometimes coated with animal fats to make them shine. In Israel, many people kosher their pots by making hagalah before use. Aluminum foil is commonly spread with chelev to make it shine. According to Sephardic custom, since it is unfit for human consumption it is not a kashrut problem. Cuts we don’t use: Full Loin, Sirloin, Porterhouse, T-Bone רוקינ / Nikur Additionally, the forequarters of these kosher animals contain arteries, veins, glands, membranes and tendons that must be removed before the soaking and salting nikur and the skilled person who/ רוקינ process can begin. This process is called . רקנמ performs this task is called the The Kosher Kitchen SEMESTER 2 – LESSON 3 2 MRS. BONNIE MANSOUR ד״סב TORAHMIND S Growth Through Structured Learning Source Sheet It is traditional that the arteries of the neck (running through the shoulder) are completely removed, as are the arteries in the foreleg, the ribs, navel, and tongue. The heart also must be opened because a large pool of blood remains in the heart. The membrane of the brain and the neck glands must be removed. Intestines used for kishkes must be scraped clean of fats. All the clotted blood found on meat or poultry must be either scraped or rinsed away before the salting. Before the salting process, it is necessary to expose major arteries and veins and cut them. The blood in these arteries would not come out by salting them. The only thing that must be removed in poultry is the neck artery. All nikur must be done by a G-d fearing and competent authority. In selecting the grade of kashrut of our meat, the authority responsible for nikur is a very important consideration. The Kosher Kitchen SEMESTER 2 – LESSON 3 3 MRS. BONNIE MANSOUR ד״סב TORAHMIND S Growth Through Structured Learning Source Sheet Chapter 11 ISSUR OF BLOOD The blood of all animals and fowl is forbidden and one who eats it One who eats it accidentally must bring a sin . רכת intentionally is punished with offering. The Torah repeats the prohibition against eating blood five times. In Vayikra 7:26 the Torah states: לכו" םד אל ולכאת לכב םכיתובשומ ףןעל "המהבלו “Do not eat any blood wherever you settle, not of bird or beast” In Devarim 12:23 the Torah states: קר" קזח יתלבל לכא םדה יכ םדה אוה שפנה אלו לכאת שפנה םע "רשבה םע שפנה לכאת אלו שפנה אוה םדה יכ םדה לכא יתלבל קזח קר" “Just be firm and do not eat the blood, for the blood is the soul; do not eat the soul with the flesh”. just be firm”, we learn that the Torah desires“ קר זח ק From the verse that states us to find ways to remove blood from the meat and even determined a way to do it- that is the koshering process. The Kosher Kitchen SEMESTER 2 – LESSON 3 4 MRS. BONNIE MANSOUR ד״סב TORAHMIND S Growth Through Structured Learning Source Sheet KOSHERING MEAT AND FOWL Koshering is a means of extracting the blood that is forbidden for consumption. There are two different ways of koshering, either of which will remove forbidden blood. 1) Soaking and salting 2) Broiling (Grilling) It is important for the Jewish woman to be conversant with the laws of koshering meat and fowl and to gain practical experience required to kosher, as one never knows if koshered meat will always be available. Here in Brooklyn and the Jersey Shore where we purchase our meat, the koshering process has been taken care of for us. Most koshering is done at the plants before it even arrives at our local butcher shops. When purchasing kosher meat out of town, we must first verify if the koshering process was already done. ורשהל ת ו למהל י ח מלו רה SOAKING AND SALTING Proper soaking and salting is a multi-step process. The tools that are necessary include: soaking pail, grate or board, drip pan, sink water, and koshering salt. A) Rinse - All surfaces need to be free of blood. Each new cut requires another rinsing for the pressure of cutting will bring out more blood to the surface. On the neck near the area of the shechita, the congealed blood must be scraped off. Any bruise that would indicate congealed blood beneath, must be cut off or cut open and then rinsed again. The rinsing water must not be ice cold that it would shrink the meat and prevent blood from being removed by salting, nor should the water be yad soledet bo (110° Fahrenheit) since that would cook the meat. The Kosher Kitchen SEMESTER 2 – LESSON 3 5 MRS. BONNIE MANSOUR ד״סב TORAHMIND S Growth Through Structured Learning Source Sheet Ø Soak - The meat must be soaked for a period of at least a ½ hour (but not more than just under 24 hours). Soaking softens the meat, preparing it for the extraction of blood. It opens the pores. It is customary to set a bowl aside exclusively for this purpose. It is common practice to use water between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Ø Rinse the meat again to rinse off the soaking water. (If the meat is cut after soaking, the cut would require an additional rinse with water on both sides, since the pressure of cutting may force some of the blood to the surface.) Ø Allow the water to drip off so the meat can absorb the salt not the surface water. Do not allow the meat to dry because then the salt won’t catch and be effective. Ø Cover the meat with Kosher Salt. Be sure to completely cover the entire exposed surface. Any flap or cut must be covered on all sides. The same is true for poultry which is much more challenging because of crannies in the cavity. Salt must cover each nook and cranny. The inside and outside of the meat and poultry must be covered. The salt must not be too fine nor too coarse. Too fine won’t extract the blood. A flake-like salt of medium coarseness is best. “Kosher Salt”. Once the surface is thoroughly covered, it will extract the blood, regardless of the size or the thickness of the meat. The meat should remain salted for a full hour. Where time is short, approximately one hour is sufficient (example - meat arrives late erev Shabbat). The most lenient view is 18 minutes. Consult a Rabbi in all such situations. Maximum time is just under 12 hours. Ø The blood must be able to flow freely so the meat doesn’t soak in its own blood. Thus, the salted meat must be allowed to drain, so you need a grate with an opening that won’t clog up, yet the meat won’t fall through or touch blood in the pan below it.