Chullin 113: Removing Blood From Meat

Our last several dapim have focused on the transfer of meat - its flavour and substance; the consumption of liver, a blood filled organ, and other issues on kashrut related to meat.  Today's daf focuses on how we can ensure that we have removed all blood from meat before its consumption.  In both Vayikra 3:17 and 17:11-14, we are directed that eating blood is forbidden.  Thus the process of removing blood is specific and involved.  It is surprising that more rabbinical thought did not go into justifying vegetarian food preparation to avoid any accidental consumption of blood.

• Shmuel teaches that meat must be salted thoroughly, rinsed throughly and then drained of its blood
• Rav Huna teaches that one must first salt the meat and then rinse it
• A baraita teaches that meat must be rinsed, salted, and then rinsed again
• Rav Dimi of Neharde'a teaches that meat must be salted with coarse salt and then shaken off

Rema's ruling holds according to the Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'a 69:1.  First the meat is soaked in water for 30 minutes, or minimally rinsed very well in water.  Then the meat must be carefully salted with salt.  The final step to to wash the salt off of the meat.

We learn from the Re'ah that the first washing removes all existing blood left on the meat after the slaughter.  The salt can only draw out blood that is in the meat and is still wet.  It does not affect the blood on the meat that is still wet nor the blood that has dried on the meat.

The Rosh shares two different opinions about how to deal with meat that was not washed before salting.  First, the slat would not remove all of the blood, and so the blood would be reabsorbed into the meat in such a way that would not allow it to be removed.  Second, it is possible to allow a second salting that would remove all of the remaining blood.