So, are *you* willing to cook chicken to less than 165F so that it doesn't shrink?

Post #413,899 by Another Scott 9/25/16 6:20:06 PM 9/25/16 6:20:06 PM Reply	So, are you willing to cook chicken to less than 165F so that it doesn't shrink? I've been convinced that it's important to cook meat to ~ 165F to make sure it's hot enough to kill the nasty germs that commercial meat swims around in before we eat it. Within the last couple of years we got horribly sick from frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu even though I checked the temperature with a thermometer and it was above 165F. I'm reluctant to take chances with lower temperatures. Quite often I heat up some chicken breast strips in the microwave to add to salads and the like, but the volume is reduced by ~ 50% even with adding water and lots of salt before heating. Would you trust this writeup which says cooking chicken to 137F is fine if you keep it there for 2 hours... It appears the best temperature range to cook chicken breasts sous vide is in the 140-147F range. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the breast being cooked and the degree of safety desired. :-/ Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #413,900 by scoenye 9/25/16 6:46:39 PM 9/25/16 6:46:39 PM Reply	Pasteurization graph http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html Personally, I've not used a sous-vide cooker but when doing a whole chicken on the BBQ, it usually comes off at 150-155F after ~4 hours. No one has expired yet...
Post #413,902 by Another Scott 9/25/16 8:42:43 PM 9/25/16 8:42:43 PM Reply	Thanks. I don't think it's worth me getting the $200 circulator to try, but it's something to think about. Hmmm... Maybe I'll give this a go if/when I get caught up on my chores around the house. Cheers, Scott.
Post #413,903 by boxley 9/25/16 8:45:04 PM 9/25/16 8:45:04 PM Reply	a simmered steak is soup always look out for number one and don't step in number two
Post #413,904 by Another Scott 9/25/16 9:56:02 PM 9/25/16 9:56:02 PM Reply	We don't eat steak. It would be for chicken. :-)
Post #413,906 by a6l6e6x 9/25/16 10:08:35 PM 9/25/16 10:08:35 PM Reply	Re: frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu We buy it often. Once, we got a recall notice from BJ's Warehouse to bring it back for a refund. But, it came too late. We were lucky and there were no ill effects. "What doesn't kill you, makes you strong!" :) Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #413,907 by pwhysall 9/26/16 8:02:25 AM 9/26/16 8:02:26 AM Reply	Sounds like you need to buy better quality chicken, tbh. I don't check the temperature - the advice over here is "it's cooked when you skewer it and the juices run clear" and that's good enough for me. Also, breasts are ass. They're the least tasty part of the bird. Thighs are better - cheaper and more flavoursome. They're not as aesthetically appealing (although the spiced rolled thighs that I do in the oven, after crisping the skin in a hot pan, look pretty darn good). The ideal for me is to buy boned thighs with the skin still on, but the deal is usual skin-on-bones-in, or skinless/boneless. Boning out thighs is easy enough with a sharp knife, though. For things that are a little harder to tell or I don't want to stab/skewer/cut open, I do an extra sacrificial one. Just for diagnostic purposes, you understand. But how will I know if it's seasoned properly if I don't comprehensively taste it?
Post #413,918 by drook 9/26/16 10:11:22 AM 9/26/16 10:11:22 AM Reply	Re: Thighs ... yes -- Drew
Post #413,920 by boxley 9/26/16 10:25:40 AM 9/26/16 10:25:40 AM Reply	agreed on thighs, will also cook wings. My favorite recipe for the other parts is go to popeyes and get a 12 piece meal. always look out for number one and don't step in number two

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