An early Eid Moo- barak to all fellow foodies out there. Yep, it’s that time of the year when Eid festivities are followed by a full- blown all out meat fest. Eid meals are delectable affairs with meat delicacies adorning every table. Popular classics include roasted cuts along with stews and gravies infused with a gentle touch of aromatic spices. The only thing that can put a damper on an otherwise well- cooked meal is that all too familiar and dreaded qurbani smell . So this Eid, we have decided to bail you out (kidding) and compile a list of the best tried and tested hacks when it comes to removing that pesky odour from meat.
For more tips on storing meat properly read Tips for Buying and Storing Fresh Meat.
Hack # 1
Rub with Bran
Local cooking gurus at Pakwan Tv have provided the following magic formula (in Urdu) to combat this timeless problem. They suggest leaving large chunks of fresh meat to air out on the kitchen counter for roughly two hours, after thoroughly rubbing and coating them with bran. Bran is also known as attay ki bhusi in Urdu. Wash the meat after two hours and cut it according to your preference. Freeze the meat after dividing it into small portions. The next time you pull out and thaw a packet of meat for cooking, you will be able to surmount the smelly hurdle without a hitch.
Hack # 2
Soak It in a Vinegar Solution
Divide the meat into small portions. Soak it in a bowlful of water. Add a small quantity of vinegar to this- about 2 capfuls (of a regular vinegar bottle). Let the meat soak in this solution for about half an hour. After half an hour rinse it thoroughly with water. Your meat will be all set for cooking- minus the odour!
Hack # 3
Add more Garlic
A very quick and easy hack to do away with any unpleasant odour is to increase the quantity of garlic that one adds to the meat. Some experts highly recommend this technique especially when it comes to meat prepared on bakra Eid. Garlic not only enhances the flavour of meat, it also gets rid of any unpleasant whiffs emanating from it.
Hack # 4
Coat it with flour
Coat the meat thoroughly with any flour and set it aside for half an hour. Next, add enough water to the meat in order to submerge it. Let it stand for a further ten minutes. After 10 minutes, slip your gloves on and rub the meat slightly to loosen the flour particles. Drain the water. Fill the meat bowl once more with more fresh water and drain it immediately. Now thoroughly rinse each individual piece under the tap to get rid of any residual flour particles. Place the chopped rinsed meat in a sieve or strainer. Once the meat has dried it is fit to be frozen or cooked. And hey, no odour!
Hack # 5
Submerge it in a Solution of Flour and vinegar
Seher Syed of the popular channel Cooking with Seher Syed recommends the following method. Her first suggestion is to avoid cooking meat immediately after the butcher prepares it. Her advice is to let it sit on the kitchen counter for a bit. The next suggested step is to rinse the meat thoroughly and let it sit in a sieve in order to drain out all the excess water. Once the water has drained and the meat is dry, divide the meat into small portions. Secure in freezer bags and freeze. In order to thaw a meat packet, leave it out in the fridge to thaw overnight- a duration of about 10 to 12 hours. Once the meat has thawed, she recommends rinsing it once more. These are general guidelines.
And now for the hack. For 1 kg fresh meat, she pours half a cup of wheat flour into a separate bowl. Next, she adds about 2-3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to it. Gradually, she stirs in about 3/4 of a glass of water to this mixture. She lets the meat soak in this solution for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Next, she rinses the meat under tap water and trims off all the excess fat. After the rinsing process, you can follow the above given general guidelines to freeze the meat.
