Kosher Beef Defined
The Jewish Bible, also known as the Torah, permits Jewish people to only eat animals that meet certain requirements set forth in the text. These rules are called the laws of Kashrut. Hence, food that meets these requirements is kosher.
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Permitted Animals
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Leviticus 11:3 states that land mammals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves are kosher to eat. If both of these characteristics are not present, such as on the pig, the animal may not be eaten. Beef which comes from cattle falls in the permissible category.
Preparation
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The Torah also requires that the beef be prepared in a certain fashion. This includes ritual slaughter that minimizes suffering to the animal and allows the blood to be drained from the body, as consuming blood is prohibited by the Torah. The meat must then be cut from the animal, free of certain blood vessels and nerves, salted and washed within 72 hours of slaughter.
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Consumption
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The Torah also has rules for how the beef may be consumed. It may not be cooked or eaten with any dairy products. Jewish people must wait between three to six hours after eating meat before consuming dairy products; however, they must wait only one hour after eating dairy products before consuming meat. The utensils used to prepare and eat the meat must also be kosher.
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References
- Photo Credit beef-meetcooked in broth image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
