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Post by bc2ca on Mar 17, 2019 19:36:42 GMT
How long are you letting it cook to brown? It sounds like your heat isn't high enough if browning is overcooking. IME, 3-4 minutes each side wouldn't be overcooking unless your are cooking very thin pieces. When I stir-fry pieces of chicken, the heat is super high and it does just take a couple of minutes. I much prefer a gas stove because of the ability to get my pan hot fast. I always have the meat at room temperature and put it into a hot pan. Are you marinating or coating your chicken? I must not have the pan/skillet hot enough. Or the heat high enough. I always thought if the heat was high, it would cook too fast and burn. So for an electric skillet, I set the heat to 250. So what do you think I should turn it up too (if you have an electric skillet). Maybe 350 for a couple minutes on each side?
I don't have the meat at room temperature, I take it right out of the refrigerator. Maybe I should set it out for an hour or so first?
Sometimes I do marinate the chicken, do you think that makes a difference. I know it adds flavor! I often use the crockpot and it's much better than when I cook it on the stove/skillet. But sometimes it's not a crockpot recipe, or I don't go to the store until right before dinner, so have to cook on the stove/skillet.
I do try to cook thin chicken breast, not the thick kind.
Thanks for your tips! I will try them out!
I haven't used an electric skillet in a long time and would have it higher than 350 to brown meat IIRC. I pull out the chicken 30-45 minutes before cooking, marinate/season and let it sit while I prepare the rest of the meal (cut vegetables, put on rice/potatoes, etc.) Even if it you just add salt & pepper, you need to season chicken. My go-to is to salt & pepper both side of the chicken, put them in a zip lock bag and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and garlic. Seal the bag and squish the chicken and seasoning around a bit and put it to the side. After browning on both sides 3-4 minutes over high heat, I do one of two things: - add a bit of broth of water to deglaze the pan (remove all the brown bits), turn down the temperature, cover the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes
- or, if the oven is already on to cook something else, put an empty pyrex dish in the oven before searing the chicken so it heats up and then place seared chicken in the dish. Cover with foil and leave in to cook for 10-12 minutes.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Mar 17, 2019 21:41:59 GMT
where do you live?
I have stew meat in the crock pot right now. I use a beef tip gravy recipe and have it over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes, and it's fall apart tender, with beef from the butcher.
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Post by maryland on Mar 17, 2019 22:06:37 GMT
I must not have the pan/skillet hot enough. Or the heat high enough. I always thought if the heat was high, it would cook too fast and burn. So for an electric skillet, I set the heat to 250. So what do you think I should turn it up too (if you have an electric skillet). Maybe 350 for a couple minutes on each side?
I don't have the meat at room temperature, I take it right out of the refrigerator. Maybe I should set it out for an hour or so first?
Sometimes I do marinate the chicken, do you think that makes a difference. I know it adds flavor! I often use the crockpot and it's much better than when I cook it on the stove/skillet. But sometimes it's not a crockpot recipe, or I don't go to the store until right before dinner, so have to cook on the stove/skillet.
I do try to cook thin chicken breast, not the thick kind.
Thanks for your tips! I will try them out!
I haven't used an electric skillet in a long time and would have it higher than 350 to brown meat IIRC. I pull out the chicken 30-45 minutes before cooking, marinate/season and let it sit while I prepare the rest of the meal (cut vegetables, put on rice/potatoes, etc.) Even if it you just add salt & pepper, you need to season chicken. My go-to is to salt & pepper both side of the chicken, put them in a zip lock bag and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and garlic. Seal the bag and squish the chicken and seasoning around a bit and put it to the side. After browning on both sides 3-4 minutes over high heat, I do one of two things: - add a bit of broth of water to deglaze the pan (remove all the brown bits), turn down the temperature, cover the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes
- or, if the oven is already on to cook something else, put an empty pyrex dish in the oven before searing the chicken so it heats up and then place seared chicken in the dish. Cover with foil and leave in to cook for 10-12 minutes.
Great ideas! Thanks!
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Post by maryland on Mar 17, 2019 22:08:34 GMT
If cooking chicken pieces I use my air fryer on high setting. BUT I prefer cooking chickens whole. Spatchcocked- more crispy skin and cooks in about half the time. Cooked at high temp doesn't have time to burn. I vary my herbs and spices and don't really use a recipe but it is basically like thisThat looks so good!
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Post by maryland on Mar 17, 2019 22:10:51 GMT
where do you live? I have stew meat in the crock pot right now. I use a beef tip gravy recipe and have it over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes, and it's fall apart tender, with beef from the butcher. I have been cooking the beef in the crockpot (recipe uses crushed tomatoes, beef broth, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, brown sugar) on low, and after 5 hrs., it seems like it's able to shred.
I live in southwest PA, near Pittsburgh.
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 17, 2019 22:14:29 GMT
If I want to shred it, I usually boil it or crock pot it. If I want to brown it some, I use my George Forman grill. I rarely cook chicken on the stove top.
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Post by chaosisapony on Mar 17, 2019 22:19:50 GMT
That's good to know! I don't know of any butcher shops in our area, but I will have to look. The stew beef I bought today was so tough! It's been in the crockpot for 3 hrs. now, and it's still very tough. I sure do hope butcher shop beef can help solve my problem. I despise cooking so much because I can't cook meat. I would love to fix that. Thanks so much for your wonderful tip! Beef stew meat is a cut of meat that is always going to be tough. It's supposed to be cooked in a stew for hours and never really gets tender but just starts to fall apart. If I were making a beef stew in a crock pot I'd expect the meat to need to cook for about 5 hours before I'd want to eat it. On the stove is different, and I do prefer to make stews on the stove top.
I suspect that a lot of the problems you might be having aren't necessarily to do with the quality of meat you're buying but perhaps you're using the wrong cuts for what you want to do. Frying a chicken breast in olive oil in a non-stick pan really isn't ever going to be tasty IMO. You need to try seasonings and different cooking methods. Maybe pick up a good basic beginner's cook book that explains the different cuts and types of meats there are. I have my grandma's old cook book from the early 50s, that thing is amazing!
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Post by chitchatgirl on Mar 17, 2019 22:25:47 GMT
I use a thermometer to check the meat temp and pull it at 165 degrees. This has helped me immensely. Also look into brining your chicken first. That's probably made the biggest difference for me. This times a million! i used to be the same way. Ever since I got a thermometer that stays in while it’s cooking, I’ve gotten much better. Mine is pretty old and when it dies I’ll immediately get another one. Here’s the upgraded version of mine ThermoPro TP-07 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Turkey Food Meat Thermometer for Grilling Oven Kitchen Smoker BBQ Grill Thermometer with Probe, 300 Feet Range www.amazon.com/dp/B014DAVCP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_UHSJCbYD9J4HJAlso so take the meat off the heat about 3 degrees before done temp. Carryover cooking will take care of the rest.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Mar 17, 2019 22:45:13 GMT
I suspect that a lot of the problems you might be having aren't necessarily to do with the quality of meat you're buying but perhaps you're using the wrong cuts for what you want to do. Frying a chicken breast in olive oil in a non-stick pan really isn't ever going to be tasty IMO. You need to try seasonings and different cooking methods. Maybe pick up a good basic beginner's cook book that explains the different cuts and types of meats there are. I have my grandma's old cook book from the early 50s, that thing is amazing! yea, this. That is why I asked what you are using the chicken for? is it just to eat the breast just like that? out of the pan? or to cut up and use it for different things? I honestly have never fried a chicken breast and eaten it. The only time i have fried chicken on the stove top is for like a stir fry, and it's usually cut in to bite sized pieces.
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Post by mom2kbs on Mar 17, 2019 23:24:38 GMT
I have a few go to for chicken that seems to work.
On my outdoor grill. I put chicken and a pat of butter with whatever seasoning from Penzys that I feel like in a foil packet and grill til it hits the right temp. Perfect every time indoor i melt butter and put lemon juice in it soak the chicken in that and then roll in bread crumbs and cook in the over at 350 until it reaches temp.
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 3:13:04 GMT
If I want to shred it, I usually boil it or crock pot it. If I want to brown it some, I use my George Forman grill. I rarely cook chicken on the stove top. How do you like the grill? We have a grill, and I am embarrassed to say, but I am terrified to grill! My husband isn't afraid of the grill, and agrees that things taste so much better grilled, but he thinks it's too time consuming (the cleanup of the grill). So we just grill a few times a year. But I may have to look into the George Foreman grill!
I usually am happy with the chicken when cooked in the crockpot. It shreds very easily for me after a few hours. I have never tried boiling chicken. Thanks for the tip!
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 18, 2019 3:17:01 GMT
If I want to shred it, I usually boil it or crock pot it. If I want to brown it some, I use my George Forman grill. I rarely cook chicken on the stove top. How do you like the grill? We have a grill, and I am embarrassed to say, but I am terrified to grill! My husband isn't afraid of the grill, and agrees that things taste so much better grilled, but he thinks it's too time consuming (the cleanup of the grill). So we just grill a few times a year. But I may have to look into the George Foreman grill!
I usually am happy with the chicken when cooked in the crockpot. It shreds very easily for me after a few hours. I have never tried boiling chicken. Thanks for the tip!
I am on my third GF grill in about 20 years. I love it. I just use the one that sits on my counter that can cook four burgers. It heats up in about 5 minutes, the chicken cooks for about 6 minutes and the plates come off of the grill and get tossed in the sink. Clean up is about 2 minutes once they cool. I do not use our large outdoor grill. I already lost my eyebrows in the big popcorn mistake of '77!
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 3:20:52 GMT
That's good to know! I don't know of any butcher shops in our area, but I will have to look. The stew beef I bought today was so tough! It's been in the crockpot for 3 hrs. now, and it's still very tough. I sure do hope butcher shop beef can help solve my problem. I despise cooking so much because I can't cook meat. I would love to fix that. Thanks so much for your wonderful tip! Beef stew meat is a cut of meat that is always going to be tough. It's supposed to be cooked in a stew for hours and never really gets tender but just starts to fall apart. If I were making a beef stew in a crock pot I'd expect the meat to need to cook for about 5 hours before I'd want to eat it. On the stove is different, and I do prefer to make stews on the stove top.
I suspect that a lot of the problems you might be having aren't necessarily to do with the quality of meat you're buying but perhaps you're using the wrong cuts for what you want to do. Frying a chicken breast in olive oil in a non-stick pan really isn't ever going to be tasty IMO. You need to try seasonings and different cooking methods. Maybe pick up a good basic beginner's cook book that explains the different cuts and types of meats there are. I have my grandma's old cook book from the early 50s, that thing is amazing!
I usually use recipes that require seasonings, I love Mexican/Middle Eastern/Indian recipes. But the chicken I cooked yesterday was just supposed to be seasoned with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning (Pioneer Woman's Chicken Lasagna I think). I usually try to buy the cut of meat the recipe calls for, and even ask for help finding it if I can't locate it at the meat section of the store.
What do you recommend I should cook the chicken in instead of a non-stick pan? I have an electric skillet, but maybe that's very similar to non-stick pan. Do you think an iron frying pan would be better? Or maybe cooking it in the oven?
I just get so frustrated because my family always complains that my dinners aren't good. I think that's why I hate cooking! I spend so much time trying to follow a recipe, watch the video and cook a nice dinner, and then they eat it and don't comment, even when they know that I have been in the kitchen for a long time. I feel very taken for granted, and it feels good to vent here!
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 3:25:30 GMT
I have a few go to for chicken that seems to work. On my outdoor grill. I put chicken and a pat of butter with whatever seasoning from Penzys that I feel like in a foil packet and grill til it hits the right temp. Perfect every time indoor i melt butter and put lemon juice in it soak the chicken in that and then roll in bread crumbs and cook in the over at 350 until it reaches temp. How long do you marinate the chicken in butter and lemon juice? Where do you find Penzys spices? I have heard they are good, but our local stores don't sell that brand.
I assume you check it with a meat thermometer because you mention you cook it until it reaches the right temperature. So do you just check it every so often? That's a great idea! I never use a meat thermometer and probably over cook it (I am so paranoid about food poisoning after I got food poisoning when I was younger).
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 3:26:52 GMT
How do you like the grill? We have a grill, and I am embarrassed to say, but I am terrified to grill! My husband isn't afraid of the grill, and agrees that things taste so much better grilled, but he thinks it's too time consuming (the cleanup of the grill). So we just grill a few times a year. But I may have to look into the George Foreman grill!
I usually am happy with the chicken when cooked in the crockpot. It shreds very easily for me after a few hours. I have never tried boiling chicken. Thanks for the tip!
I am on my third GF grill in about 20 years. I love it. I just use the one that sits on my counter that can cook four burgers. It heats up in about 5 minutes, the chicken cooks for about 6 minutes and the plates come off of the grill and get tossed in the sink. Clean up is about 2 minutes once they cool. I do not use our large outdoor grill. I already lost my eyebrows in the big popcorn mistake of '77! Thanks! I will look into getting one! That sounds like you had a scary experience with the outdoor grill.
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Post by mom2kbs on Mar 18, 2019 3:29:28 GMT
How long do you marinate the chicken in butter and lemon juice? Where do you find Penzys spices? I have heard they are good, but our local stores don't sell that brand.
I assume you check it with a meat thermometer because you mention you cook it until it reaches the right temperature. So do you just check it every so often? That's a great idea! I never use a meat thermometer and probably over cook it (I am so paranoid about food poisoning after I got food poisoning when I was younger).
I just dunk it in to cover it and then move on. You can order Penzys online I love sunny paris on chicken
I do use my thermometer. I also don't want food poisoning!
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 18, 2019 3:29:54 GMT
Where do you find Penzys spices? I have heard they are good, but our local stores don't sell that brand. Online.
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 3:30:42 GMT
This has helped me immensely. Also look into brining your chicken first. That's probably made the biggest difference for me. This times a million! i used to be the same way. Ever since I got a thermometer that stays in while it’s cooking, I’ve gotten much better. Mine is pretty old and when it dies I’ll immediately get another one. Here’s the upgraded version of mine ThermoPro TP-07 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Turkey Food Meat Thermometer for Grilling Oven Kitchen Smoker BBQ Grill Thermometer with Probe, 300 Feet Range www.amazon.com/dp/B014DAVCP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_UHSJCbYD9J4HJAlso so take the meat off the heat about 3 degrees before done temp. Carryover cooking will take care of the rest. That looks fancy! I have to check it out. So you put it in the meat and there is part that sits on the counter so you can read it without opening the oven? What do you mean about taking the meat off the heat about 3 degrees before done? Thanks for your tips!
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pancakes
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,993
Feb 4, 2015 6:49:53 GMT
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Post by pancakes on Mar 18, 2019 3:48:09 GMT
Thanks for the tips! I tried browning stew beef chunks today at high heat before placing them in the crock pot. I will admit that as one poster above said, maybe I am using cheap meat. I just get what's out on the refrigerated shelves. Is the meat better quality at the "butcher" section of the store? I'm not sure what exactly it's called, but it's like the lunch meat deli section, but with seafood, and meat that they package for you. I don’t think your meat is cheap. I think your pan isn’t hot enough before you add your meat. I also wouldn’t use stew beef pieces for the slow cooker because sometimes they’re really lean. Get a chuck roast or something similar with marbling and fat. Cut it into 1-2” pieces yourself. Also be sure you’re using the right amount of liquid to braise. I don’t cook on an electric stovetop, so I’m not sure what your settings are, but to sear your chicken, heat your pan for a few minutes on medium high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add your meat. You SHOULD hear a nice sizzling sound when your meat goes in the pan. Depending on the thickness of the breasts, they only need 2-3 minutes per side before you finish them in the oven. 350 or 375 will do it. Just pull them when your meat thermometer says 162. Let them rest 10 minutes and they’ll finish cooking to 165 during that period of time. I will say that it’s hard to troubleshoot when we aren’t able to see your process and technique, but it does sound like you’re cooking your meat on a temperature akin to medium low heat. You can pull your meat out of the fridge about 30 min in advance to let it get closer to room temp before you start cooking, which will help. Also, I really don’t recommend a George Foreman grill for cooking meat. At least not the kind that has a sandwiching lid like a waffle maker. The purpose of the grill is to press the fat out of the meat. With chicken, the weight of the lid will press the juices out of it. It will encourage drier chicken.
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 18, 2019 4:08:31 GMT
Thanks for the tips! I tried browning stew beef chunks today at high heat before placing them in the crock pot. I will admit that as one poster above said, maybe I am using cheap meat. I just get what's out on the refrigerated shelves. Is the meat better quality at the "butcher" section of the store? I'm not sure what exactly it's called, but it's like the lunch meat deli section, but with seafood, and meat that they package for you. I don’t think your meat is cheap. I think your pan isn’t hot enough before you add your meat. I also wouldn’t use stew beef pieces for the slow cooker because sometimes they’re really lean. Get a chuck roast or something similar with marbling and fat. Cut it into 1-2” pieces yourself. Also be sure you’re using the right amount of liquid to braise. I don’t cook on an electric stovetop, so I’m not sure what your settings are, but to sear your chicken, heat your pan for a few minutes on medium high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add your meat. You SHOULD hear a nice sizzling sound when your meat goes in the pan. Depending on the thickness of the breasts, they only need 2-3 minutes per side before you finish them in the oven. 350 or 375 will do it. Just pull them when your meat thermometer says 162. Let them rest 10 minutes and they’ll finish cooking to 165 during that period of time. I will say that it’s hard to troubleshoot when we aren’t able to see your process and technique, but it does sound like you’re cooking your meat on a temperature akin to medium low heat. You can pull your meat out of the fridge about 30 min in advance to let it get closer to room temp before you start cooking, which will help. Also, I really don’t recommend a George Foreman grill for cooking meat. At least not the kind that has a sandwiching lid like a waffle maker. The purpose of the grill is to press the fat out of the meat. With chicken, the weight of the lid will press the juices out of it. It will encourage drier chicken.The lid is not heavy at all. It is quite light. It makes the perfect, juicy chicken breast. I can't make it on the stove (or grill) nearly as well as I can the GF grill.
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pancakes
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,993
Feb 4, 2015 6:49:53 GMT
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Post by pancakes on Mar 18, 2019 4:29:28 GMT
I don’t think your meat is cheap. I think your pan isn’t hot enough before you add your meat. I also wouldn’t use stew beef pieces for the slow cooker because sometimes they’re really lean. Get a chuck roast or something similar with marbling and fat. Cut it into 1-2” pieces yourself. Also be sure you’re using the right amount of liquid to braise. I don’t cook on an electric stovetop, so I’m not sure what your settings are, but to sear your chicken, heat your pan for a few minutes on medium high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add your meat. You SHOULD hear a nice sizzling sound when your meat goes in the pan. Depending on the thickness of the breasts, they only need 2-3 minutes per side before you finish them in the oven. 350 or 375 will do it. Just pull them when your meat thermometer says 162. Let them rest 10 minutes and they’ll finish cooking to 165 during that period of time. I will say that it’s hard to troubleshoot when we aren’t able to see your process and technique, but it does sound like you’re cooking your meat on a temperature akin to medium low heat. You can pull your meat out of the fridge about 30 min in advance to let it get closer to room temp before you start cooking, which will help. Also, I really don’t recommend a George Foreman grill for cooking meat. At least not the kind that has a sandwiching lid like a waffle maker. The purpose of the grill is to press the fat out of the meat. With chicken, the weight of the lid will press the juices out of it. It will encourage drier chicken.The lid is not heavy at all. It is quite light. It makes the perfect, juicy chicken breast. I can't make it on the stove (or grill) nearly as well as I can the GF grill. If it works for you, that’s great. I just can’t recommend it based on my experience as an ex-food editor.
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Post by chitchatgirl on Mar 18, 2019 12:28:22 GMT
This times a million! i used to be the same way. Ever since I got a thermometer that stays in while it’s cooking, I’ve gotten much better. Mine is pretty old and when it dies I’ll immediately get another one. Here’s the upgraded version of mine ThermoPro TP-07 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Turkey Food Meat Thermometer for Grilling Oven Kitchen Smoker BBQ Grill Thermometer with Probe, 300 Feet Range www.amazon.com/dp/B014DAVCP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_UHSJCbYD9J4HJAlso so take the meat off the heat about 3 degrees before done temp. Carryover cooking will take care of the rest. That looks fancy! I have to check it out. So you put it in the meat and there is part that sits on the counter so you can read it without opening the oven? What do you mean about taking the meat off the heat about 3 degrees before done? Thanks for your tips! Carryover cooking happens when the temperature continues to rise even after you’ve taken it out of the oven. It will continue to do that for a couple of minutes until the air temperature starts cooling it down. I’ve personally found chicken breasts to be very picky about temp. For me, it can go from moist to dry in relatively no time. So I pull mine out about 3-4 degrees below my final temp. Leave the thermometer in and you will see the temp continue to rise. Yes the thermometer is two separate parts. You have the actual probe that stays in the meat and then a separate receiver that you can walk around with. I originally got it for grilling because I absolutely abhor dry meat. Ps I find grilling chicken breasts to be impossible. I’ve never been able to grill a breast and it be moist.
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 20:47:10 GMT
That looks fancy! I have to check it out. So you put it in the meat and there is part that sits on the counter so you can read it without opening the oven? What do you mean about taking the meat off the heat about 3 degrees before done? Thanks for your tips! Carryover cooking happens when the temperature continues to rise even after you’ve taken it out of the oven. It will continue to do that for a couple of minutes until the air temperature starts cooling it down. I’ve personally found chicken breasts to be very picky about temp. For me, it can go from moist to dry in relatively no time. So I pull mine out about 3-4 degrees below my final temp. Leave the thermometer in and you will see the temp continue to rise. Yes the thermometer is two separate parts. You have the actual probe that stays in the meat and then a separate receiver that you can walk around with. I originally got it for grilling because I absolutely abhor dry meat. Ps I find grilling chicken breasts to be impossible. I’ve never been able to grill a breast and it be moist. Oh, I understand now! I thought you meant the oven temp, and I didn't know 3 degrees lower would work. But you mean the meat thermometer. I really need to start using one! It sounds like most everyone does. My husband complains that when he grills, the chicken is dry. He is right, it is dry, but at least I didn't have to cook, and I will not complain if he is doing the cooking! Anything that gets me out of cooking sounds good! haha
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 20:49:33 GMT
I suspect that a lot of the problems you might be having aren't necessarily to do with the quality of meat you're buying but perhaps you're using the wrong cuts for what you want to do. Frying a chicken breast in olive oil in a non-stick pan really isn't ever going to be tasty IMO. You need to try seasonings and different cooking methods. Maybe pick up a good basic beginner's cook book that explains the different cuts and types of meats there are. I have my grandma's old cook book from the early 50s, that thing is amazing! yea, this. That is why I asked what you are using the chicken for? is it just to eat the breast just like that? out of the pan? or to cut up and use it for different things? I honestly have never fried a chicken breast and eaten it. The only time i have fried chicken on the stove top is for like a stir fry, and it's usually cut in to bite sized pieces. Yes, we have often had chicken with just a marinade or breaded as part of the main dish. Then rice and a vegetable as sides. I am not a big chicken lover, so I don't eat it unless it's mixed in something. I guess my husband and I both grew up eating chicken straight out of the oven or pan, so we are so used to it.
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Post by lucyg on Mar 18, 2019 21:00:20 GMT
My best advice is go to an actual BUTCHER shop. There are a ton of them these days. Right now in my small town there is about 4. It's an independent butcher shop that mainly does meat. Yea, it's a pain to go to a separate store for your meats, but it is SOOO much better. Most of our butchers here use local farms and it's fresh. It might be a bit more expensive, but overall I have found because the quality is so much better. Less fat, fresher, and less waste that it's worth it, and not really that much more. That's good to know! I don't know of any butcher shops in our area, but I will have to look. The stew beef I bought today was so tough! It's been in the crockpot for 3 hrs. now, and it's still very tough. I sure do hope butcher shop beef can help solve my problem. I despise cooking so much because I can't cook meat. I would love to fix that. Thanks so much for your wonderful tip! Stew beef needs a lot more than 3 hours in the crockpot to get tender. Even if it’s on high. Just so you know, we don’t even have a butcher shop in my town. I generally buy regular supermarket beef. It’s fine. You need to learn how to handle it, not spend even more money on meat you’re not really sure how to prepare.
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Post by maryland on Mar 18, 2019 21:10:26 GMT
That's good to know! I don't know of any butcher shops in our area, but I will have to look. The stew beef I bought today was so tough! It's been in the crockpot for 3 hrs. now, and it's still very tough. I sure do hope butcher shop beef can help solve my problem. I despise cooking so much because I can't cook meat. I would love to fix that. Thanks so much for your wonderful tip! Stew beef needs a lot more than 3 hours in the crockpot to get tender. Even if it’s on high. Just so you know, we don’t even have a butcher shop in my town. I generally buy regular supermarket beef. It’s fine. You need to learn how to handle it, not spend even more money on meat you’re not really sure how to prepare. Yes, I cooked it in the crockpot for 6 hrs. and it was easy to shred then. I expected after 3 hrs. it would be a little softer, but no, not until 6 hrs. I wish I could find a fun cooking class in our area! You're right, no sense in spending the money until I know how to do it correctly. I have learned alot her from all the great tips!
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Post by lucyg on Mar 18, 2019 21:14:10 GMT
Carryover cooking happens when the temperature continues to rise even after you’ve taken it out of the oven. It will continue to do that for a couple of minutes until the air temperature starts cooling it down. I’ve personally found chicken breasts to be very picky about temp. For me, it can go from moist to dry in relatively no time. So I pull mine out about 3-4 degrees below my final temp. Leave the thermometer in and you will see the temp continue to rise. Yes the thermometer is two separate parts. You have the actual probe that stays in the meat and then a separate receiver that you can walk around with. I originally got it for grilling because I absolutely abhor dry meat. Ps I find grilling chicken breasts to be impossible. I’ve never been able to grill a breast and it be moist. Oh, I understand now! I thought you meant the oven temp, and I didn't know 3 degrees lower would work. But you mean the meat thermometer. I really need to start using one! It sounds like most everyone does. My husband complains that when he grills, the chicken is dry. He is right, it is dry, but at least I didn't have to cook, and I will not complain if he is doing the cooking! Anything that gets me out of cooking sounds good! haha I don’t grill at all (yes, another girl who’s scared of the grill) but my late husband used to. We learned to parboil the chicken first before grilling, to avoid that super-dry grilled chicken thing. So I’d boil the chicken in a pot of water on the stove for a few minutes (not till fully cooked), then when it cooled down, it would go in a marinade until he was ready to grill. Then he would grill briefly on both sides to blacken it a bit and finish cooking it through. It always came out nice and juicy, with that good BBQ crust on the outside.
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 18, 2019 21:25:06 GMT
The lid is not heavy at all. It is quite light. It makes the perfect, juicy chicken breast. I can't make it on the stove (or grill) nearly as well as I can the GF grill. If it works for you, that’s great. I just can’t recommend it based on my experience as an ex-food editor. But have you tried it? I have recommended it to lots of people and everyone comments on how juicy and perfect the chicken is. The right spices give it a nice coating.
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pancakes
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,993
Feb 4, 2015 6:49:53 GMT
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Post by pancakes on Mar 18, 2019 22:28:36 GMT
If it works for you, that’s great. I just can’t recommend it based on my experience as an ex-food editor. But have you tried it? I have recommended it to lots of people and everyone comments on how juicy and perfect the chicken is. The right spices give it a nice coating. Yup, I have used several types of George Foreman grills.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Mar 18, 2019 22:32:58 GMT
My best advice is go to an actual BUTCHER shop. There are a ton of them these days. Right now in my small town there is about 4. It's an independent butcher shop that mainly does meat. Yea, it's a pain to go to a separate store for your meats, but it is SOOO much better. Most of our butchers here use local farms and it's fresh. It might be a bit more expensive, but overall I have found because the quality is so much better. Less fat, fresher, and less waste that it's worth it, and not really that much more. That's good to know! I don't know of any butcher shops in our area, but I will have to look. The stew beef I bought today was so tough! It's been in the crockpot for 3 hrs. now, and it's still very tough. I sure do hope butcher shop beef can help solve my problem. I despise cooking so much because I can't cook meat. I would love to fix that. Thanks so much for your wonderful tip! My grandmother said to not buy stew meat as it’s usually not a good type/grade of meat. She taught us to just take round steak and cute it into stew chunks ourself I also rarely cook chicken breast just themselves since they tend to be dry. I like to cook thighs and breasts together when possible:)
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