Aino Ben Yomo - Chicken Residue

QUESTION: I accidentally fried chicken with my milchig frying pan. The frying pan had not been used for more than 24 hours, but the pan has a layer of baked on grease. What is the status of the chicken?

ANSWER: Since the frying pan was not used for more than 24 hours, the pan has the status of an “aino ben yomo” and the absorbed dairy taste is stale and no longer a concern. However, since there is residual grease on the frying pan, that grease would be considered dairy and would still be a concern. Shulchan Aruch (YD 103:5) cites two opinions of Rishonim as to whether actual residue that adheres to a utensil becomes stale after 24 hours. The Rashba is strict, and the Ran is lenient. Shulchan Aruch records the ruling of the Rashba first and then quotes the Ran. When the Shulchan Aruch quotes two opinions, we assume the Shulchan Aruch intended to rule like the first as the accepted halacha. As such, only flavor that is absorbed in the utensil becomes stale after 24 hours. Residue cannot be assumed to be stale, unless it is known for sure that this is the case. Although, the baked-on grease is a small amount, and it is certainly less than shishim (a sixtieth) of the chicken, still the outer layer of the chicken that was in direct contact with the dairy grease might need to be scraped off. A rabbi should be consulted.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.