OMG, chicken WITH the bone?

weaklink109

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread-

I've been trying to switch over to more natural, less processed foods.
That being said I'm a vegetarian, but my husband is not and I'm the cook and grocery buyer. We are not rich folks- so while I'd love to buy chickens at my farmers market from the farmer, I really can't.

So- is the boneless, skinless chicken much more processed than the whole chicken in the grocery store? Is the stuff much different (granted it's handled more as it's been deboned and deskinned)? Does it add more chance for germs and such?

Thanks!

The boneless skinless that come frozen often have some sort of salt solution sprayed on them, so that will affect the sodium level, but if you buy fresh, there shouldn't be any "processing" unless you count cutting the meat off the bone. Since you are not eating the chicken raw ( I HOPE not, anyway:noway:) the germ question is really a non issue. The most common "bug" associated with chicken is salmonella, but that is always a possibility -- regardless of whether it is a whole bird or a piece on one.

And as we have learned from the recent recalls, there are a whole lot of other places that salmonella can lurk, but cooking thoroughly--juices running CLEAR, not pink--should eliminate that. If you are really hung up on germs, you should be using a food thermometer to check the temps of all your cooked food to make sure it is done, but I personally don't do that, and I am over 50 and still alive and kicking.:laugh:

If you buy frozen, read the label to see what they might have added. The store I usually shop in has lots of boneless skinless options in the fresh chicken, and there is nothing added to them.

astridfeline

astrid

if you keep ending up with dry chicken breasts, try marinating it then cooking it in foil for about 30 min or so depending on the size of the breast, it keeps the juices in and steams it and stays moist everytime and yet still quick

hope it helps

Pg:flowerforyou:

also slow cookers do wonders :bigsmile:

Thanks guys, I will try these tips. :flowerforyou:

erikazj

I reckon the majority of people in the UK could cook a whole roast chicken...it's almost like second nature! I don't find bones, skin etc gross, but I do insist on free range chicken. The conditions in which they keep cheaper birds is something to be grossed out about, so free range is best for the birds and for you!

I can't believe there are people who are grossed out about bones and skin, when there is something like this on the market:

http://gizmodo.com/5234444/oh-god-its-a-whole-chicken-in-a-can

I can't believe it even exists :noway: I can't believe that anyone would buy and eat it!

Erika

Kityngirl

astrid

if you keep ending up with dry chicken breasts, try marinating it then cooking it in foil for about 30 min or so depending on the size of the breast, it keeps the juices in and steams it and stays moist everytime and yet still quick

hope it helps

Pg:flowerforyou:

also slow cookers do wonders :bigsmile:

Thanks guys, I will try these tips. :flowerforyou:

I always cook my chicken breasts on my foreman grill with just herbs sprinkled on them. Then when their done I treat them like a roast or steak and cover them on a plate and let them 'rest' for 5-10 minutes. They ALWAYS turn out juicy and moist when I do this. :bigsmile:

Kityngirl

http://gizmodo.com/5234444/oh-god-its-a-whole-chicken-in-a-can

I can't believe it even exists :noway: I can't believe that anyone would buy and eat it!

Erika

That. Is. Soooooooo. NOT. Right.:sick: :sick: :sick:

amandadaisylotus

Dry chicken = over cooked.

People are really careful with chicken and tend to over cook it. Lower heat, longer time, and let the chicken sit for a few minutes after cooking before cutting into it. Marinating is great but beware of the sodium content or make your own marinades.

RecliningFigure

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread-

I've been trying to switch over to more natural, less processed foods.
That being said I'm a vegetarian, but my husband is not and I'm the cook and grocery buyer. We are not rich folks- so while I'd love to buy chickens at my farmers market from the farmer, I really can't.

So- is the boneless, skinless chicken much more processed than the whole chicken in the grocery store? Is the stuff much different (granted it's handled more as it's been deboned and deskinned)? Does it add more chance for germs and such?

Thanks!

Here's one way to get organic chicken without paying too much for it. Look for a college that teaches (what do they call it, husbandry?) dairy and farm techniques. At our community college, not only do we have cows, we have chickens. They sell organic eggs every Wednesday and every once in a while, organic chickens (I really load up on them when this happens). I usually end up paying something like $3.00 for a flat (that's about a carton and a half, I think) and about $5 to $6 a chicken. They don't cost very much because they don't pay the students who are leaning. But then, that also makes me realize how much organic foods should cost. If this is what it costs when the workers are not getting paid, then it makes sense how much organic foods cost currently. It's Wednesday, time to pick up some more eggs.

RecliningFigure

http://gizmodo.com/5234444/oh-god-its-a-whole-chicken-in-a-can

I can't believe it even exists :noway: I can't believe that anyone would buy and eat it!

Erika

That. Is. Soooooooo. NOT. Right.:sick: :sick: :sick:

I think I'm feeling ill now.:sick:

RecliningFigure

You know you can actually chew on the bone (eating the bone marrow inside)...and eat the tendons, cartilage, and other connector stuff on the whole chickens. According to my grandma with her "wise" knowledge of traditional Chinese cooking, it's actually really good for your bones and joints to consume these things much better than popping those calcium pills. But I've probably turned you off from eating chicken altogether now. :laugh: I'm guessing it's mostly a cultural thing. It's common in some other parts of the world (mostly the eastern herm) to eat "undesirable" chicken parts like um intestines, organs, etc. But it's definitely an acquired taste. Better than to waste it right? :sick:

Sucking on the bones, not a problem. Wait, that didn't come out right. :laugh:

mrd232

I reckon the majority of people in the UK could cook a whole roast chicken...it's almost like second nature! I don't find bones, skin etc gross, but I do insist on free range chicken. The conditions in which they keep cheaper birds is something to be grossed out about, so free range is best for the birds and for you!

I can't believe there are people who are grossed out about bones and skin, when there is something like this on the market:

http://gizmodo.com/5234444/oh-god-its-a-whole-chicken-in-a-can

I can't believe it even exists :noway: I can't believe that anyone would buy and eat it!

Erika

Nah, there's some of us here in the US that grew up eating chicken with the bone or whole chickens...or quail or hens or turkeys, what have you.

Some of us have even had to lop of their heads :bigsmile:

RecliningFigure

I reckon the majority of people in the UK could cook a whole roast chicken...it's almost like second nature! I don't find bones, skin etc gross, but I do insist on free range chicken. The conditions in which they keep cheaper birds is something to be grossed out about, so free range is best for the birds and for you!

I can't believe there are people who are grossed out about bones and skin, when there is something like this on the market:

http://gizmodo.com/5234444/oh-god-its-a-whole-chicken-in-a-can

I can't believe it even exists :noway: I can't believe that anyone would buy and eat it!

Erika

Nah, there's some of us here in the US that grew up eating chicken with the bone or whole chickens...or quail or hens or turkeys, what have you.

Some of us have even had to lop of their heads :bigsmile:

Never had to do it myself, but I've seen my grandma pluck a chicken. She must have killed it because it was alive when she bought it. I don't see live chickens being sold in places like Chinatown for at least 15 or 20 years now. Guess they must have banned it. Anyway, one of the most amazing scenes I've come across is in the movie Babel where chickens had their heads cut off, and their bodies are still running around. I thought that was some kind of linguistic myth. Didn't know they really could do that. It blew my mind.

astridfeline

astrid

if you keep ending up with dry chicken breasts, try marinating it then cooking it in foil for about 30 min or so depending on the size of the breast, it keeps the juices in and steams it and stays moist everytime and yet still quick

hope it helps

Pg:flowerforyou:

also slow cookers do wonders :bigsmile:

Thanks guys, I will try these tips. :flowerforyou:

I always cook my chicken breasts on my foreman grill with just herbs sprinkled on them. Then when their done I treat them like a roast or steak and cover them on a plate and let them 'rest' for 5-10 minutes. They ALWAYS turn out juicy and moist when I do this. :bigsmile:

I've heard those foreman grills are really hard to clean--do you have one of the newer versions, they're supposed to be easier to clean up.

April0815

I cannot eat chicken off the bone. what I mean by that is the piece right on the bone I cannot eat. The top layers I can. I also cook the boneless in the steam fresh bags, they come out so juicy