Tough chicken-- ideas?
#11
  Re: (...)
I prepared a lemon chicken recipe the other day that I am considering using for my MIL's birthday dinner in July.

The chicken breasts were marinated in a lemon/olive oil/herb mixture then sauteed. The chicken was then placed in a baking dish, the marinade used to deglaze the saute pan, and poured over. I baked the chicken to 175F interior temp and allowed it to sit for 45 minutes.

I did this because, one of the scenarios in preparing this dinner (I will be taking the meal to a location 15 minutes away) is to make it just before leaving, then I figured it would be about 45 minutes by the time the food is loaded into the car, transported, unloaded, and set into chafing dishes.

After 45 minutes, I microwaved the chicken just enough to warm it (only 2 minutes at 50 power) and served.

The chicken breasts, fresh, Sam's Club brand, were huge (about 9-10 ounces for the smaller ones). The sauce was good, but I do need to add more lemon. But what worries me is that they weere a little tough.

Now would this be because the size of the chicken? The brand? Holding it at temp for 45 minutes? Any ideas?

Maybe I should pound the chicken breasts a little, they were quite thick-- would that have tenderized them?

Or should I try a different brand (a name, like Perdue?).

I rarely bake chicken breasts, and I almost always buy frozen in quantity, so I'm not certain where I went wrong. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#12
  Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by foodfiend (I prepared a lemon c...)
My guess is it was the microwaving. But I am not an expert, just a guess.

I often pound the frozen breasts I buy from costco because the are big and quite thick. So they cook more uniform. This also might help in serving size. you might get two servings (sort of like a cutlet) per breast instead of having big portions with one serving per breast. Another thought might be to use bone in breasts. The bone might help with the holding over of the chicken rather than boneless/skinless breasts. You can still skin them before cooking if that is a concern. Just my two cents.
Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
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#13
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by esgunn (My guess is it was t...)
I was hoping that the microwaving wouldn't be the cause since I don't think I'll need to do it in July (unless it's a cold day). Hmmmmm...

I should probably look for smaller (4-5 ounce) chicken breasts since wouldn't that look better than halving a larger one? Also, I did want to use boneless since that would be easier to eat (for the older people).

This is making me think way too much!

Thanks for the "cents", Erin.
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#14
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by foodfiend (I was hoping that th...)
Vicci, those chicken breasts at Sam's are HUGE! I NEVER make them as packaged. I ALWAYS split them in half lengthwise to make something more like cutlets. (I freeze them in packs of two for FOUR servings. I find they split easier partially frozen.) I don't have a problem with them getting tough that way. I know what you're talking about. Try it again this way and see if it doesn't help. These are the ones I use for my chicken piccata, and I never have to pound them. They turn out great! Although, pounding them out WOULD make them even more tender, so if you've got the time....I'd do it. Yea, I know, they're that big....LOL!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#15
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by Gourmet_Mom (Vicci, those chicken...)
Thanks Daphne, maybe I'll split a few lengthwise and make the recipe a second time. Those are humungo chicken breasts-- one weighed in at 14 ounces for a half! And I'll pound on them too. Can't hurt to release a little frustration, can it???
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#16
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by foodfiend (Thanks Daphne, maybe...)
I don't think the microwave, since you did it briefly at 50% power, is the culprit. My advice would be to first brine the breasts (a must in my opinion) and then slightly undercook, maybe 160 degrees, and then you shouldn't have any problem reheating.
Shannon
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#17
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by Dismc (I don't think the mi...)
I agree with Daphne. Most recipes calling for use of chicken breasts mean a 6-9 oz breasts. If you've ever weighed one of the big ones from the bulk markets you'll find that most weigh up to 14 oz! (I actually had one that weighed 17oz)

Now I have to ask why you sauted them and then baked them. Sauting is usually a slow method of cooking in oil. Now if you used very little oil and seared them hot and fast and then baked them you would have a different result. But sauteing them they slowly start to come up to temp and then you put them in a oven. Well before they continue to cook they drop in temperature. The heat takes longer to penetrate the meat. You got them to 175 internal, but what temp did you cook them and for how long?

The marinade was with lemon juice this will also start the cooking process, but never, ever ever use your marinade to make a sauce. If need be made double marinade and put half in a container to make your sauce with, but the marinade that had the chicken in it should be thrown away.
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#18
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by DFen911 (I agree with Daphne....)
White meat of chicken should not be cooked to an internal temperature of 175°F. Should be 160°F to 165°F, so I'd say that was probably your problem. Plus, I always brine chicken breasts, especially the larger ones and the ones with the bone removed - dryness seems to be bred into them now days.

"the marinade used to deglaze the saute pan, and poured over." - I'm thinking deglazing the pan with the marinade will have cooked it enough for it to be safe and then pour over the chicken.

To me heating things in the microwave does toughen them up, but I think that's a personal taste.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#19
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by cjs (White meat of chicke...)
You guys rock!

Okay, here's the recipe:

Italian Lemon Chicken

2 lemons
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (sag, thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 pounds chicken, cut into serving pieces (I'm using boneless skinless chicken breasts)
salt and pepper to taste

Grate the zest of the lemons into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, then squeeze in all the lemon juice, holding back the seeds.

Whisk in wine, 1/4 cup olive oil, herbs and garlic. Add chicken pieces, turning them to coat well in the marinade. Refrigerate for several hours.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan. Drain chicken pieces, reserving the marinade, and sauté over medium heat until they are golden crisp on all sides (about 5 to 7 minutes.)

Transfer chicken to a baking dish large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces in one layer.

Pour reserved marinade into frying pan and bring to a boil, scraping up any remaining bits in the pan. Pour the hot marinade over the chicken in the baking dish.

Place baking dish in oven, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken pieces are done (juices will run clear.) Serve in baking dish, or transfer to a serving plate and pour pan juices over chicken.

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/venettos/lemon-chicken.htm


All I think that I have to do to the recipe is add more lemon, the taste wasn't as strong as I would have liked. But I only marinated for 2 hours, maybe I should keep the amount of lemon the same and go for a longer period of time for marinating? And would I brine in addition to marinating?

Now, for the prep. I think that I should use smaller breast halves (or split the larger ones in half lengthwise) and pound them a little.

Question- do you think it matters what the brand of the chicken is? Would a more expensive brand be more tender? I hate to sound stupid, because we poke fun of the husband of a friend who insists on buying the most expensive "whatever" (wine, camera, etc.) because he perceives that it is the best. I don't want to be like him (ever!), but in this case...?

I'm going to try the next attempts two ways. One, I will make the recipe as directed, cook the chicken to 160F, then hold for 45 minutes (to mimic transporting to the apartment building's private dining room). I will also saute the chicken, deglaze the pan, pour the sauce over, then cool and refrigerate overnight. The next day I will bake the chicken and hold 45 minutes. I'm doing this because if I can prepare the bulk of the recipe the day before the party, all the better, but if it doesn't taste as good I will just suck it up and do everything on party day.

Oh, and should I make some boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well? We don't usually eat dark meat, would there be a different cooking time for those?

Sorry to be such a pain. I really want this to go perfectly! Thanks so much for all of your help.
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#20
  Re: Re: Tough chicken-- ideas? by foodfiend (You guys rock! [img...)
Question- do you think it matters what the brand of the chicken is? Would a more expensive brand be more tender?

I don't think it matters - what does matter is brining chicken breasts. A boneless, skinless chicken breast will inherently be drier than skin on/bone in - unless brining

I'm going to try the next attempts two ways. One, I will make the recipe as directed, cook the chicken to 160F, then hold for 45 minutes (to mimic transporting to the apartment building's private dining room). I will also saute the chicken, (I think you're wanting to say 'brown' the chicken pieces rather than 'saute.Saute cooks, as Denise said) deglaze the pan, (allowing the juice to boil long enough to make the marinade safe) pour the sauce over, then cool and refrigerate overnight. The next day I will bake the chicken and hold 45 minutes. I'm doing this because if I can prepare the bulk of the recipe the day before the party, all the better, but if it doesn't taste as good I will just suck it up and do everything on party day. (it will be delicious!!)

Oh, and should I make some boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well? We don't usually eat dark meat, would there be a different cooking time for those? If they are not something you usually make, I don't see any reason to go that direction - but, if you do, dark meat should be cooked to 170°-175°

If you don't have a brining solution, here's the generic one I use -


* Exported from MasterCook *

Brining Solution

1 quart cold water
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar


Place meat or poultry in a deep container or bowl large enough to cover the chicken with brine.
Combine and whisk the water, Kosher salt and the brown and granulated sugars until sugars are dissolved.
Pour over the meat or poultry, weight the chicken pieces under the brine with a plate or shallow bowl, cover and refrigerate for the timing below.

When ready to proceed with the meat or poultry, remove from brine, rinse well and pat dry. The meat is not ready for you to use.

A note of caution - don't reuse the brine, the chances of cross contamination are high, just discard after each use.

Here is a timing guide for brining and the best idea is to start with the lower length of time and make sure the product is not too salty for you. You can then add time if you'd like.

Whole Chicken - 3-8 hours
Chicken Pieces - 2-3 hours
Whole Turkey - 12 hours to 2 days
Turkey Breast - 4-8 hours
Cornish Game Hens - 2-3 hours
Pork Chops - 2-6 hours
Pork Tenderloin - 2-8 hours
Whole Pork Loin - 1-3 days

Description:
"I love what brining does to pork and poultry. This is a very basic solution and you should feel free to add whatever flavorings and/or seasonings you'd like to try."
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You're going to have a great dinner party for your m-i-l!!!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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