About 90 percent of us (including Julia Child, back when she was still alive and cooking) still believe that rinsing excess juices off our chickens makes them cleaner, safer and more healthful. Turns out this couldn't be further from the truth—and last summer, food safety experts at Drexel University created a
public service campaign to explain why. Rinsing forcefully dislodges illness-causing bacteria like salmonella. Tiny droplets can carry the germs as far as three feet away from the sink, contaminating food, utensils, countertops, highchairs, your clothing, hands and skin. The only thing that can kill these germs (and make your meat safer) is cooking at a high temperature (the magic number, which you probably have memorized, is
165 degrees).
Microchange: Cook your chicken without washing, or pat it first with a dry paper towel, which, unlike rinsing, doesn't send bacteria flying into the air (
just remember to immediately toss the towel into the trash).
