Meat, Meat Equipment, Dairy, Dairy Equipment, Parve … Do I have to wait before Dairy, etc.?
Eating “out” is very much a part of contemporary society. What are the chef’s secrets that I need to know?
If you eat at a Dairy/Meat establishment you must assume that anything fried has been made in oil that was used for other items on the menu as well. That would mean that French fries, onion rings, etc., must be considered to have Dairy/Meat status (unless otherwise verified). Soups, dressings, and sauces are often enhanced with hidden Dairy/Meat ingredients. Unless you have verified that your food is Parve you should consider it Dairy/Meat.
How about Dairy/Meat Equipment? If the only concern is the equipment, there is no need to wait between Meat and Dairy. Serving the food with the opposite type is more complex, for example: eating a potato that was cooked in a meat pot with Dairy butter. This question depends on custom, and is different for Sefardim and Ashkenazim. You should follow your family custom or seek your rabbi’s guidance in this regard.
After eating aged cheese it is necessary to wait (your customary length of time) before eating meat. Rabbi Gordimer researched the manufacturing process of all major cheeses. The results of his research are available in the linked file.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m9aekdksgnplmvv/Cheese%20-%20Aged%20-%20OU.pdf?dl=0
As with all practical halocha follow your family custom or seek your rabbi’s guidance. As always, your family rabbi is your most important resource for personal guidance.
כתיבה וחתימה טובה
May you, your family, loved ones, and all Klal Yisroel be written and inscribed for a good year.
