Every year we celebrate Eid-ul-Azha and the foremost thing on everyone’s mind is ‘qurbani’. From deciding whether to sacrifice a cow or a goat this year, to going to the mandi and finding that perfect animal, to finally doing the qurbani and distributing the meat among family, friends & the needy.

However, while doing the qurbani the biggest struggle for us is how to handle & store the meat so it doesn’t spoil. Not only do we need to manage the meat for our own home but we also need to make sure it is stored properly so we can distribute it among our family & the needy.

Here are a few tips from the Desi Appetite team on how to handle the qurbani gosht properly.

1. Make sure your freezer is in working condition

Having your freezer break down right before Eid-ul-Azha is one of the worst things that can happen. If you are feeling even a teensy bit paranoid, just call an electrician and get it fixed.

2. Clear out your freezer

Not only are you going to store qurbani ka gosht for yourself, but you are probably going to do the same for the jamadaar, driver, guard and your masi as well. Make sure your freezer is clean so you have space plus it will cool it better.

3. Get a real butcher not the guy around the corner

The moment Eid ki namaz finishes, it seems as if every random person has become a butcher. Unfortunately, not only does this cause far more pain to the animal being slaughtered but it also results in wastage of meat due to improper cutting & cleaning. Pay a little extra but get a proper butcher who knows how to sacrifice animals and can also prepare your meat for you. Whether you eat it at home or distribute it to the needy it should be clean & edible for everyone.

4. Sort your meat

Once your animal is slaughtered and the meat starts coming in, start sorting it out. Keep the gaya ka gosht separate and the bakray ka gosht separate. Boti on one side, haddi on the other. Once it’s sorted out, it will help you make portions / hissas much more easily.

5. Weigh the portions & label them

Make sure you get plastic bags from the supermarket along with black markers to label the meat. Take out a weighing scale and start portioning the meat by weight. Once the portion is made, label it in bold so it’s easy to take out from the freezer. Once the portions are made, they can be kept in the freezer with the labels helping in identifying which portion is for whom.

6. Preserve the meat by drying and/or freezing

In order to preserve meat for longer, it is best to remove the water from it through dehydration. This can be done through various means depending on what is available & convenient. The meat can be dried under the sun though it does need to be protected from flies, insect and dust by either net or cloth. It can also be air-dried under the fan or in the oven. Once the water is removed, it can be portioned and frozen. Meat can be frozen from anywhere around 3 – 6 months. However, it is better to use it as early as possible. Not only does this reflect the true meaning of Eid-ul-Azha but loadshedding and electricity breakdowns can lead to meat getting spoiled earlier.

7. Don’t use newspaper to store meat

Avoid using newspaper to portion, pack or store meat. If necessary, use parchment paper / butter paper or plastic bags.

8. Avoid over-eating

With meat being cooked for breakfast, lunch & dinner it’s tempting to indulge and overeat. However, one needs to make sure to eat in moderation and be particularly careful if one is suffering from illnesses like high blood pressure & cholesterol.