In fact, USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] notes that water can splash bacteria up to three feet surrounding your sink, so it’s vital to clean those surrounding areas to avoid any cross-contamination,” she told me.3
Heidi Meyer, who co-created Pound of Ground Crumbles, agrees.
“I believe the wisdom suggests you should not wash raw ground beef for fear of splattering raw juices throughout your kitchen,” she told me. “Either way you should always cook ground beef to a safe and savory 160°F.”
How about cleaning ground beef after it has been cooked?
“We’ve also seen the trend of washing ground beef after it’s been cooked,” Clark says. “From a food safety standpoint, there’s no need, but if you’re worried about the fat, just drain your ground beef. Anything left will be a delicious flavor that you do not want to miss out on.”
