If you're lactose-intolerant, you know how dairy and its derivatives disagree with you. If you're cooking for someone who's lactose-intolerant, understand that avoiding dairy is not just a preference of taste; your guest doesn't have the lactase she needs to digest it. Preparing a dairy-free meal or eating a completely dairy-free diet requires more attention than you may think. Read on to learn pick lactose-free meats and meat substitutes.
Instructions
1. Remember that what you add to meat, not the meat itself, could have lactose. If there's breading, for example, or if the meat is batter-dipped or marinated before it's cooked, it may not be lactose-free. Don't buy prepared cutlets or marinated meats. You cannot be sure that there is no lactose in them or that they were prepared sufficiently away from milk products. If you can, buy kosher meats. If the meat is kosher, it cannot be near any dairy or its derivatives or cut with knives that are used with any dairy product.
2. Avoid processed meats like hot dogs and deli meats because they may have lactose, and so can canned meats. If you're buying cold cuts, for example, ask the deli worker if the meat has any extra ingredients. Otherwise, carefully read the labels of any ingredients you use. If you want to make a meatloaf, make sure the bread you use for the breading is lactose-free. Not all breads are. If you're using a marinade, make sure all the ingredients are lactose-free. Look not just for words like "milk" or "lactose" but also for "casein," "calcium caseinate" and "calcium stearate," all of which are made from milk.
3. Enjoy meat substitutes like seitan, tofu and tempeh without worry. They are all lactose-free. How you make them matters, however. Avoid cream sauces, or make them with soy milk. There are also many premade sauces and marinades without dairy. For a list of some, see the Resources below.
Tags: , , have lactose, make sure, make them