How to Choose the Right Cut of Chicken
Learn about different cuts., Know about broilers, fryers, and roasters., Understand stewing chicken., Learn about capons., Think about meat from roosters., Pick chicken with a good “use by” or “sell by” date., Examine the chicken., Purchase chicken...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Learn about different cuts.
Chicken is a relatively simple meat to understand in terms of different cuts.
This is because the chicken is divided into two major cuts, the breast and the legs.
From there, chicken is divided into smaller cuts.
Breast is the upper part of the chicken and consists mostly of white meat.
Tenderloins are a part of the larger breast cut.
The leg includes the upper thigh and drumstick, and consists of darker meat. -
Step 2: Know about broilers
This meat is from young chickens and can be used for a wide variety of dishes.
Thus, this is some of the most versatile and sought-after chicken meat.
As the names imply, this chicken is good for broiling, frying, or roasting.
It can be used, however, for a wide variety of other dishes.
This is some of the most common chicken you’ll find in supermarkets., Stewing chicken meat tends to be tougher and stringier than other meat.
Thus, people often use it for stews, soups, and similar dishes.
Stewing chicken is often from older chickens.
Many people tend to prefer dark meat from stewing chickens for chicken soup and similar dishes., Capon meat has much more fat on it than other types of chicken.
In addition, its meat has more flavor and is more tender.
Thus, capon meat is popular for a wide variety of dishes.
Many people prefer to roast, bake, or sauté capon meat.
Capon meat is widely available at butchers and supermarkets.
Capons are roosters that have been castrated., This meat tends to be very lean and has low fat content.
The meat, though, tends to be stringy or ropey.
Thus, people tend to use it for stews, braises, and certain traditional foods.
You probably won’t be able to find rooster meat in the grocery store.
If you want rooster meat, you may want to visit an Asian market near you., The use by date is a recommendation from the grocery store concerning the freshness and safety of the food.
If you buy a chicken with a use by date that expires soon, you may be getting chicken on its way to being spoiled.
Depending on refrigeration and whether preservatives were used, chicken might have a couple of weeks before the use by or sell by dates expire.
Try to pick the cut of chicken that has the longest time left before expiration.
Uncooked chicken usually lasts 1 or 2 days before spoiling after you open it., Before picking a chicken, make sure to examine it.
By handling it and smelling it, you’ll gain a lot of information about whether it is a good cut of meat.
Without doing this, you may wind up picking what seems to be the right cut of meat, but it could be loaded with preservatives or even be partially spoiled.
Avoid chicken that:
Smells sour.
Has a chemical smell.
This means it may contain substantial amounts of preservatives.
Looks yellow or green.
However, make sure to distinguish the light yellow fat on some cuts of meat from pieces that have soured., Perhaps the best cuts of chicken you can buy are those you’ll get at farmer’s markets or fresh from farmers or butchers.
These cuts tend to be very fresh.
These cuts may not have any preservatives intended to prolong their shelf life.
You’ll be able to verify the type of diet the chickens consumed and whether they were given antibiotics. -
Step 3: fryers
-
Step 4: and roasters.
-
Step 5: Understand stewing chicken.
-
Step 6: Learn about capons.
-
Step 7: Think about meat from roosters.
-
Step 8: Pick chicken with a good “use by” or “sell by” date.
-
Step 9: Examine the chicken.
-
Step 10: Purchase chicken from a farmer’s market or butcher
-
Step 11: if possible.
Detailed Guide
Chicken is a relatively simple meat to understand in terms of different cuts.
This is because the chicken is divided into two major cuts, the breast and the legs.
From there, chicken is divided into smaller cuts.
Breast is the upper part of the chicken and consists mostly of white meat.
Tenderloins are a part of the larger breast cut.
The leg includes the upper thigh and drumstick, and consists of darker meat.
This meat is from young chickens and can be used for a wide variety of dishes.
Thus, this is some of the most versatile and sought-after chicken meat.
As the names imply, this chicken is good for broiling, frying, or roasting.
It can be used, however, for a wide variety of other dishes.
This is some of the most common chicken you’ll find in supermarkets., Stewing chicken meat tends to be tougher and stringier than other meat.
Thus, people often use it for stews, soups, and similar dishes.
Stewing chicken is often from older chickens.
Many people tend to prefer dark meat from stewing chickens for chicken soup and similar dishes., Capon meat has much more fat on it than other types of chicken.
In addition, its meat has more flavor and is more tender.
Thus, capon meat is popular for a wide variety of dishes.
Many people prefer to roast, bake, or sauté capon meat.
Capon meat is widely available at butchers and supermarkets.
Capons are roosters that have been castrated., This meat tends to be very lean and has low fat content.
The meat, though, tends to be stringy or ropey.
Thus, people tend to use it for stews, braises, and certain traditional foods.
You probably won’t be able to find rooster meat in the grocery store.
If you want rooster meat, you may want to visit an Asian market near you., The use by date is a recommendation from the grocery store concerning the freshness and safety of the food.
If you buy a chicken with a use by date that expires soon, you may be getting chicken on its way to being spoiled.
Depending on refrigeration and whether preservatives were used, chicken might have a couple of weeks before the use by or sell by dates expire.
Try to pick the cut of chicken that has the longest time left before expiration.
Uncooked chicken usually lasts 1 or 2 days before spoiling after you open it., Before picking a chicken, make sure to examine it.
By handling it and smelling it, you’ll gain a lot of information about whether it is a good cut of meat.
Without doing this, you may wind up picking what seems to be the right cut of meat, but it could be loaded with preservatives or even be partially spoiled.
Avoid chicken that:
Smells sour.
Has a chemical smell.
This means it may contain substantial amounts of preservatives.
Looks yellow or green.
However, make sure to distinguish the light yellow fat on some cuts of meat from pieces that have soured., Perhaps the best cuts of chicken you can buy are those you’ll get at farmer’s markets or fresh from farmers or butchers.
These cuts tend to be very fresh.
These cuts may not have any preservatives intended to prolong their shelf life.
You’ll be able to verify the type of diet the chickens consumed and whether they were given antibiotics.
About the Author
Jerry Peterson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: