Kashrut of Hind-Quarter Meat
Question
I am Ashkenazi and I eat food under Rabbi Machpud’s kashrut. Am I allowed to buy meat — that is, are there parts that I am not permitted to eat?
Answer
Shalom u’vracha
There is a difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardi customs regarding eating meat from the hind quarter.
That is, certain parts in the rear section of the cattle require more extensive removal of forbidden fats and sinews (nikur), and since their checking and processing are difficult, Ashkenazi communities customarily refrain from eating them.
Therefore, an Ashkenazi who eats food under a reliable Sephardi kashrut certification must make sure that the meat he receives does not include those parts that Ashkenazim customarily do not eat.
[Generally speaking, cuts 11–19 are from the hind quarter, although there are customs that are lenient with cuts 12 and 13].
