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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 2 Issue 108 - May 29, 2002 Automatic system commands and instructions: End of Message Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- Good Day Recipe Club, Today let's do some chicken recipes for your grill. Chicken is becoming more popular again much to the dismay of the beef industry. A Colorado newspaper reported yesterday: The U.S. cattle industry is expected to produce 3% more meat this summer than last year, analysts say. Increased supply is attributed to a weakened economy, Japan's drop in demand because of BSE incidents and tough competition from the poultry industry, according to industry observers. If there is a glut as this report suggests, we should see falling prices right? I doubt it but we'll see. -------------------------------------------------- Chicken is affordable and always available, this creates demand. The flavor of store bought chicken, in my opinion, has deteriorated over the last two decades. While it is usually Grade A, which is what you want to buy, the darn birds are so genetically engineered they have no true flavor. A 3 pound fresh dressed chicken at the store has only been out of it's shell for 28-32 days! Hello! What are they feeding those little birds? If you have a specialty meat market of store in your area, spend the little bit extra for an all natural or free range chicken. Or even better cook a free range and a store bought next to each other and taste the difference. It's is amazing. -------------------------------------------------- Cooking Whole Chickens You all know the problem right? The breast is dry and the legs are pink! That's because the legs have more fat and connective tissue in them. Most people cook their chicken or any birds, breast side up. And when you go to cut it up, there is no juice in the breast but the backbone in moist and tender and full of flavor from the juices dripping down during the cooking process. TURN IT OVER! Try cooking your chicken upside down. This way the legs are sticking up in the air and will get more direct heat and the juices from the backbone and legs will cook down and keep the breast moister. And remember to baste with fat only! Basting with water or stock washes away the protective natural fats. If you are cooking a large bird like a capon or turkey, remove the wings and legs from the breast and cook them all separately. Remove each part from the oven as it is done. -------------------------------------------------- How do I know when it is done? Please don't rely on those silly little red pop up things. Bad idea in my opinion. To test birds for doneness the U.S.D.A recommends that you cook the bird to an internal temperature of 180 degrees. I disagree. I remove my bird from the oven when an instant read thermometer inserted into the inside of the meatiest part of the thigh reads 160 degrees. Remember that bird will still be cooking for a while once you take it out of the oven. And always remember to allow the bird to rest for 5 minutes per pound before carving it. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of pouring out all over your cutting board. -------------------------------------------------- Here is a tip: Only season the skin of fowl if the skin is to be eaten. Your seasoning will not penetrate the skin and flavor your bird. If you would like to infuse your bird with flavor rub your seasonings or herbs under the skin. And baste the skin of your chicken with butter or oil before putting it on the grill or in your oven. This helps keep it moist and helps the browning process. -------------------------------------------------- Here are some sauces that will make your chicken want to go on a picnic with you! They are easy to prepare and can be used with any white meat to give your dinner a nice twist from the old stand by.Teriyaki Sauce! These are perfect with grilled chicken breasts. -------------------------------------------------- Plantation Sauce Serves 10 Preparation Total: 25 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons pecans, chopped 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 ounce rum 1 each mango, fresh 1 each papaya, fresh 1 cup water Melt the butter in a pan and saute the pecans until lightly browned, add the sugar and cook for 2 more minutes over low heat. Flame the pan with the rum. When the alcohol has burned off add the mango and papaya and mash together. Add the water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Serve over the top of your grilled breast. Serve with a nice salad of spring field greens, some fresh fruit and a fruity vinaigrette. -------------------------------------------------- CLUB MEMBERS, WIN FREE HOT STUFF! Our newest sponsor is FireBreath.com Register to win this gift crate of hot and spicy goodies by clicking the link below. Offer ends at the end of the month. You need to keep open flames away from this crate. Comes with Galena Blasting Powder BBQ Rub, Spontaneous Combustion Peanuts, Hot Sauce Harry's Dynamite Hot Sauce, and Galena Basting Sauce. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=93 -------------------------------------------------- This one is a compound butter that you can slice and put on the breast as soon as it comes off the grill. It's really good with grilled duck or goose breast! Raspberry Zinfandel Butter Serves 8 Preparation Total: 20 Another great butter to keep in your freezer for an un expected dinner. Use this one on any white meat as soon as it comes off the grill or out from under the broiler. Garnish with fresh raspberries if they are in season. 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar 1/3 cup Zinfandel wine 1 each shallot, minced 1/3 clove garlic, minced 2/3 pound butter, softened 1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a saucepan. Add the wine, shallots, and garlic. Reduce heat to a simmer over a medium low heat until reduce in half to 1/3 cup. 2. Whip together butter and wine-vinegar reduction until smooth. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator or freezer until needed. -------------------------------------------------- Kentucky Virtual Handcrafted gifts, gift baskets, & delicious gourmet foods like Derby Pie, chocolates, cream candy, ham, preserves, flavored honey & more! Hand woven placemats, napkins & rugs! Books, Pottery, Home Accents, too. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=83 -------------------------------------------------- Here's a fun BBQ sauce for those of you who were wondering if I'd ever give you one. It's got a great flavor and will WOW your guests. Make some chicken K-Bobs with thigh or breast meat and place fresh cubes of pineapple between the chucks. Baste during the last few minutes and serve with a little warm sauce on the side. Great as an entrée or as a fun appetizer. If you are using bamboo skewers remember to soak them for thirty minutes before putting the meat on them. This will stop them from burning up on the grill. Orange Ancho Chile BBQ Sauce Serves 4 Preparation Total 1:30 1 cup orange marmalade 1 cup tomato sauce 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons Ancho Chile powder 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon cumin, ground Combine marmalade, tomato sauce, vinegar, Ancho Chile powder, garlic, salt, cayenne, and cumin in a small saucepan and stir to incorporate. Heat sauce to a boil, stirring often. Simmer for 2 minutes, and let cool completely. -------------------------------------------------- CLUB MEMBERS! GET 4 COOKBOOKS FOR $1 EACH! Turn any meal into a magnificent feast with the help of world famous chefs like Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse. Learn how to make tempting treats, dazzling dinners and decadent deserts--fantastic foods that will make dining a delight! Discover a great selection of quick and easy recipes, techniques, and tips for both beginners and experts alike. Start now with 4 cookbooks for $1 each from The Good Cook. Click for details. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=86 -------------------------------------------------- Shopping Lists: Butter Pecans, chopped Brown sugar Rum 1 each mango, fresh 1 each papaya, fresh Raspberry vinegar Zinfandel wine 1 each shallot Garlic Butter Orange marmalade Tomato sauce Red wine vinegar Ancho Chile powder Garlic Salt Cayenne Cumin, ground -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE or Unsubscribe Requests: http://chef2chef.net/forms/form-entry.htm or reply to this E-Mail by typing into the SUBJECT line: remove club or subscribe club -------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE: All Club e-mails are archived each Friday at: http://chef2chef.net/news/club/ -------------------------------------------------- LIST PURGE: We attempt to send email for 24 hours. If not successful, your address is removed. 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