Glatt-kosher cheek meat; the kohen’s recipe

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What is the proper way for a kohen to eat the cheek meat the shochet gives him?

Based on the word למשחה, which the torah uses when speaking about matanot kehuna, it is a general rule that all matnos kehuna are supposed to be consumer with a tinge of “royalty”.

How is this done with the foreleg, cheeks and abomasum? The Talmud gives us this recipe; roasted and with mustard.

Fresh glatt-kosher cheek meat ready for roasting - Shulchan Aruch encourages the kohen to roast his cheek meat and dip it in mustard

Fresh glatt-kosher cheek meat ready for roasting – Shulchan Aruch encourages the kohen to roast his cheek meat and dip it in mustard

That’s right, the kohen is expected to roast the fresh cheek meat and/or beef tongue on an open flame and – dip it into mustard!

Not to worry though, in case you don’t like mustard or your meat roasted, you may cook it any-which way and spice (or not spice) it the way you like. The roasted and mustard recipe does remain though the halachic first choice.

Cheek meat - called לחיים in the Torah - is the cut reserved for the kohen

Cheek meat – called לחיים in the Torah – is the cut reserved for the kohen

Helping your fellow jew

The sefer rimon peretz to maseches chullin relates an interesting fact by telling us that the kohen, regardless of what he does or how he chooses to consume the foreleg, cheeks and abomasum, does a mitzvah just by “being there” accept the gifts and thus giving the yisroel the opportunity to perform his mitzvah of giving them.

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