Cooking chicken is so easy that everyone can do it. If this is the case then why can a professional make a piece of chicken taste so much better than the average Joe? The answer is easy when you sit down and think about it. It’s because the pros know how to select the right piece of chicken and prepare the ingredients. Not only this, but they know how to follow each specific step to or technique in the most effective manner. Of course, pros are usually trained professionals with years and years of experience, so their finished dishes are no doubt going to be more mouth-watering, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get similar results.
You might not be able to identically replicate such a product, but you can at least get similar results. At the very least, you can do much better than what you are doing right now. How? By following these tips and information.
Know What’s Available To You
The first thing you need to know that chicken is sold in different cuts as well as different styles. For instance, it can be sold fresh, frozen, live, fried, or more. Not only this, but there are a variety of ways to cook chicken. The most popular ways to cook it are broiling, crying, and roasting it. That being said, the largest and oldest chickens are the ones that are best for roasting while younger and smaller chicken are best from broiling. All types of chicken can be prepared for just about any recipe, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll get the same meat yields from each cook. In fact, you likely won’t.
In addition to this, chicken is sold in different pieces. You can buy breasts, wings, party wings, thighs, and legs. Some stores and grocers might even sell backs or bones for soups as well as livers, which are perfect for mousses, pates, and enriching sauces.
Moist And Juicy Is A Must
The only thing worse than an undercooked chicken is a dry, stringy chicken. What makes this even worse is that it is so easy to produce these results. Despite this, this is also another pitfall that can easily be avoided. How? Simple and popular techniques like marinating, brining, braising, and keeping a close eye on the temperature.
Monitor Internal Temperature
Speaking of temperatures, according to the USDA, you’ll always want a whole chicken, chicken piece, and ground chicken to average out at a temperature of 165 degrees F. Using a high-quality digital instant-read or infrared thermometer or an accurate instant pot will be pertinent for measuring such temperatures accurately. This will not only ensure the tastiest results, but it’ll ensure that your chicken is safe to eat.
Storing Chicken
While you’ll always want to try to cook chicken fresh, this isn’t something that you’ll necessarily have to do. If you don’t cook it right away, you’ll want to make sure that you store it properly. Proper storing starts by placing the chicken in a refrigerator set to below 40 degrees F. Along with this, keeping the chicken in its original packaging can go a long way to prolonging its nutritional value and taste. Re-wrapping or vacuuming sealing the unused portions also helps.
