Should you boil meat in boiling water or cold water?

When boiling meat, many people have the habit of blanching it or using boiling water to remove chemicals. Another method is to put the meat in a pot of cold water and then turn on the stove to bring the water and meat to a boil.

According to Dr. Tu Ngu, Secretary General of the Vietnam Nutrition Association, in reality, all these boiling methods cook the meat and make it edible. However, each method has its own specific benefits.

If you initially put the meat in cold water before bringing it to a boil, impurities will be released during the boiling process. You'll then need to skim off the foam and impurities that float to the surface of the boiling water. While the meat boiled in cold water isn't as tasty, the broth is sweeter and richer. This method is suitable for those who want a delicious soup.

Boiling meat in boiling water preserves nutrients because they are not broken down by prolonged boiling. "Meat boiled in boiling water tastes better than meat boiled in cold water," the doctor stated. However, this method doesn't remove many impurities and toxins from the meat, so in the long run, it can affect the health of consumers. This is because the nutrients in meat are mainly protein (existing in the form of muscle tissue) and fat; vitamins and amino acids are primarily found in muscle cells.

"Therefore, meat that is put into boiling water easily denatures and shrinks, absorbing more chemicals and impurities, making it unsafe," explained Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, Institute of Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

According to experts, before choosing how to boil meat, the most important thing is to choose clean meat. Clean meat, free from harmful substances, is nutritious and safe regardless of how it is boiled. You should buy meat from reputable sellers; the meat should be bright pink, firm and elastic when pressed, with even fibers, and a dry surface after cutting.

Before boiling, it's necessary to remove any dirt and chemicals that may remain in the meat by rinsing it several times with clean water. Alternatively, you can use a small amount of salt dissolved in water to rinse the meat, as diluted salt water also helps remove impurities.

The cooking time for meat cannot be precisely determined as it depends on the size and thickness of the piece. If the piece of meat is thick and large, it may take a very long time to cook thoroughly, and even then it may not be cooked through. In this case, it's advisable to cut or score the meat with a knife to make it cook more easily.

When boiling meat, skim off any foam that appears frequently. When the fat becomes slightly translucent and no red liquid comes out when you pierce the meat with chopsticks, it means it's cooked through.