Kosher meat refers to meat that comes from a kosher animal and that is slaughtered in the ritual Jewish halachic way. The laws for determining a kosher animal are different depending on the type of animal and the rules are provided clearly for us to follow in the Torah in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 17.
For land animals such as cattle, the requirements for an animal are that it must contain both split hooves and chew its cud. Examples of such animals would be cows, sheep, bison, and even giraffes. The Bible even lists animal which contain only one of the requirements to tell you specifically that those animals are forbidden for consumption, the most famous of which is the pig.
In terms of birds, the rules are slightly more complicated. Here the Torah only lists birds that are forbidden and tells us "Every clean bird, you may eat." But the Torah continues to list 24 species of fowl that are considered not kosher. Birds of prey are not kosher; however, the Talmud is hesitant to establish this as law. Everyone, though, agrees that in order to eat a bird, we must have a mesorah, a passed-down tradition of consumption of that specific bird. Thus, a bird such as a swan is kosher in theory, but has no tradition and thus will never be found with kosher certification. Those that have been established as kosher include the chicken, turkey, duck, and goose.
Once you have the kosher animal, shechita, or ritual slaughter must occur according to strict Jewish law. This can be done only by a certified shochet under the auspices of a certified kosher establishment. The shochet will take a knife that is continuously sharpened and checked for nicks and dents and kill the animal with one cut across its neck. This is meant to minimize the pain suffered by the animal as it dies swiftly, in one blow.
After the slaughter the animal will be checked for any irregularities such as harmed organs which would render the animal unkosher. The blood is then removed as are certain fats and nerves. In America we do not eat the hind portion of the cow, as in practice we are unable to remove the sciatic nerve to an acceptable degree. However, in Israel the sciatic nerve of the thigh is removed, and the hind parts of the animal are considered to be kosher. The tradition of removing the hind nerve, dates back to the story of our forefather Jacob wrestling with the angel.
Today the most common kosher meats are beef and chicken and the majority of shechita is performed on them. However, as mentioned, the same process would apply to all kosher meat animals such as bison or turkeys. Kosher meat refers to meat that comes from a kosher animal and that is slaughtered in the ritual Jewish halachic way. The laws for determining a kosher animal are different depending on the type of animal and the rules are provided clearly for us to follow in the Torah in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 17.
For land animals such as cattle, the requirements for an animal are that it must contain both split hooves and chew its cud. Examples of such animals would be cows, sheep, bison, and even giraffes. The Bible even lists animal which contain only one of the requirements to tell you specifically that those animals are forbidden for consumption, the most famous of which is the pig.
In terms of birds, the rules are slightly more complicated. Here the Torah only lists birds that are forbidden and tells us "Every clean bird, you may eat." But the Torah continues to list 24 species of fowl that are considered not kosher. Birds of prey are not kosher; however, the Talmud is hesitant to establish this as law. Everyone, though, agrees that in order to eat a bird, we must have a mesorah, a passed-down tradition of consumption of that specific bird. Thus, a bird such as a swan is kosher in theory, but has no tradition and thus will never be found with kosher certification. Those that have been established as kosher include the chicken, turkey, duck, and goose.
Once you have the kosher animal, shechita, or ritual slaughter must occur according to strict Jewish law. This can be done only by a certified shochet under the auspices of a certified kosher establishment. The shochet will take a knife that is continuously sharpened and checked for nicks and dents and kill the animal with one cut across its neck. This is meant to minimize the pain suffered by the animal as it dies swiftly, in one blow.
After the slaughter the animal will be checked for any irregularities such as harmed organs which would render the animal unkosher. The blood is then removed as are certain fats and nerves. In America we do not eat the hind portion of the cow, as in practice we are unable to remove the sciatic nerve to an acceptable degree. However, in Israel the sciatic nerve of the thigh is removed, and the hind parts of the animal are considered to be kosher. The tradition of removing the hind nerve, dates back to the story of our forefather Jacob wrestling with the angel.
Today the most common kosher meats are kosher beef and kosher chicken and the majority of shechita is performed on them. However, as mentioned, the same process would apply to all kosher meat animals such as bison or turkeys.
Save $$$ on your first order on any Glatt Kosher Meats brought to you by The Kosher Express. Biggest online Kosher Meat Store we carry all the major brands including Off Tov and Kosher Bison. Deliver right to your door all over US. Express shipping is available. Visit our store today and try our premium quality meats.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Hues
No comments:
Post a Comment