Jewish Dietary Laws: Combination of Milk and Meat

A most important facet of the observance of kashruth, and the one that most distinguishes a kosher kitchen, is the separation of milk and meat products. This practice is traced to the three instances in the Pentateuch (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21) in which the children of Israel are forbidden to cook a goat in the milk of its mother. Whether these verses are the source of the prohibition remains a matter of dispute. In practice, meat and milk products are never cooked or prepared together and never served at the same meal. Kosher kitchens have completely separate sets of cookware, dishware, and cutlery for handling meat and milk products.