KitchenSavvy

Chicken Oysters

Whenever I read instructions on how to cut up a chicken, the writer seems to invariably talk about the 'oysters'.  What are they and how do I find them?

--Sandy

They oysters are small tender pieces of dark meat situated just forward (toward the front of the chicken) of where the thighs meet the backbone.  Because they do very little work, they are quite tender.  In fact, some restaurants collect the oysters as they break down chickens and serve them as a specialty dish.  There are two per chicken.

It is easy to find the oysters if you have a leftover carcass you can look at as a reference.  Just ahead of the hip joint, where the thigh connects to the pelvis is a small scoped out area called the ilium.  That is where the oyster is found.  The oyster is about the size of the last joint of your thumb, and rests in this indentation.

To find the oysters, place the chicken breast down on your cutting board.  Pull the thigh slightly back, away from the wing.  The skin in front of the thigh is loose and will pull away from the body.  Using your chef's knife, cut through the skin in front of the thigh, just where it attaches back to the body.  Now if you were to feel under the skin just ahead of the joint and you would find the oyster.  It can be removed along with the thigh, or you can go back to get it after you are finished breaking down the rest of the bird if you want it separate.

If you are taking it out with the thigh, run your knife under the oyster and then continue back along the pelvic bone to sever the joint.

The easiest way to remove the oyster if you left it until later is to make a small cut at the front end of the oyster and then slide your thumb underneath, using your thumbnail to free and lift out the piece of meat.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Dis-dressed Turkey

I understand that the common wisdom nowadays is to cook stuffing separately from the turkey.  Why?

--Karen

In order for salmonella and other bacteria to be killed, most food, including turkey,  should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).  The temperature should be measured at the center of the food.

The ideal cooking temperatures for turkey are 165°F (74°C) for breast meat and between 175°F (80°C) and 180°F (82°C) for the leg and thigh.  At those temperatures, the light and dark meats are at their most tender and moist.  Above those temperatures, the proteins start to tighten, squeezing out moisture and leaving the meat drier.  At approximately 12 - 15 minutes per pound (27 - 33 minutes per kg), an 18 pound (8 kg) turkey will take between 3 ½ and 4 ½ hours to cook¹.

So, here is the problem.  During the time a stuffed turkey is sitting in the oven, juices from the meat, possibly contaminated with salmonella or other nasties, are soaking into the stuffing.  Since the food is in a nice warm environment, the bacteria will grow even faster than normal.  By the time the breast meat reaches its ideal temperature the stuffing has been acting as a bacteria culture for around three hours or so.  If you go for the higher temperature on the thigh meat, it has been sitting even longer.

Instead of measuring the temperature at the the center of the breast or thigh, you need to measure the temperature in the center of the stuffing.  Because the heat had to penetrate the breast and thigh to get to the stuffing, by the time it is thoroughly heated, the meat is likely overdone.

The other problem with stuffing inside a turkey is that if it is not thoroughly cooked and then is left inside the cavity, it can contaminate the leftover turkey.  Stuffing should always be removed from inside the cavity before the leftovers are refrigerated².

The easiest way to avoid this dilemma is to cook the turkey and the stuffing separately.  Prepare the stuffing as normal but keep it refrigerated in a covered casserole dish until about a half hour before the turkey is finished.  Then put it in the oven and let it cook while the turkey finishes and rests before carving.  All together that should give you about a full hour of cooking.  Check to be sure that the stuffing has reached at least 165°F (74°C), and if necessary cook it a bit longer.  If you miss the taste of the pan juices soaked into the stuffing, you can pour some into the stuffing from the bottom of the roasting pan when the turkey comes out to rest before you make the gravy.  Also, if you want, you can take the lid off of the casserole for the last 20 minutes or so to brown the top.

I make a version of the Mashed Potato Stuffing I had the first time I went to Christmas with my future in-laws.  This year at Thanksgiving there were rave reviews about the stuffing, which had been cooked outside the turkey as described above.

^1. Always use a thermometer to measure doneness.  Cooking times are approximations for planning.

^2. If you absolutely must cook the stuffing inside the bird, you can use a stuffing bag to make removal and serving easier.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Beef en Daube

On a recent trip to Victoria, British Columbia, Pat and I visited the home of some friends -- old friends for her, new friends for me.

As probably is happening among foodies all over nowadays, conversation turned to the movie Julie & Julia which had just come out and, with that, discussion of the supposedly challenging and difficult Boeuf Bourguignon recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. 

Personally, I don't see what is so daunting about the recipe.  Still, I make a similar dish called Beef en Daube, which is somewhat simpler.  "Daube" refers to the earthenware pot in which the dish is traditionally cooked.  A good crockpot makes a modern substitute. While Beef en Daube is easier to make than Boeuf Bourguignon, you still need to count on a long slow cook to get tender meat and good flavor.

Here is the recipe:

4	oz	Bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips
3	lbs	Stewing beef cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1	large	Onion, peeled and cut in half crosswise
4		Cloves
1		Carrot, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1	bottle	Sturdy red wine (Côtes du Rhône, Beaujoulais, Bordeaux)
3	cloves	Garlic, peeled and smashed
2	whole	Bay leaves
1/8	tsp	Dried thyme (optional)
10	fl oz	Condensed canned beef broth, preferably low salt, undiluted
2	tbsp	Tomato paste
20		Pearl onions, peeled (optional)
10		Button mushrooms, cleaned, stems cut off and quartered (optional)
3	tbsp	Butter, room temperature
5	tbsp	All-purpose flour
		Salt and pepper to taste

Method 1

1. Fry the bacon until crisp and then drain off the fat.
2. Stick the pointed ends of the cloves into the outside of the onion halves.  This makes them easier to remove later.
3. Put the bacon and all of the other ingredients, except the pearl onions, mushrooms, butter and flour, into the crockpot.  Following the manufacturers directions, cook for 4 to 6 hours, until the meat is tender.  If your crockpot has a heat adjustment, use the lowest heat that will keep the liquid at a very low boil.
4. A half hour before the dish is cooked, remove the large onion halves, bay leaves and the pieces of carrot using a slotted spoon.
5. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms.
6. In a bowl, mix together the butter and flour to make a paste.
7. Use your fingers, crumble about half of the butter and flour mixture into the liquid and stir.  Cover and allow to return to a boil to thicken the gravy.  If necessary, add more of the mixture and repeat until the gravy is the desired thickness.
8. Skim off the surface fat and serve hot, accompanied with mashed potatoes.

I like to use smoked bacon slices, since they add an interesting flavor.  If you prefer to not have the smokiness, use fatback or pancetta.  If it is salty, simmer in hot water for 10 minutes to remove the salt before proceeding.

If you don't have a crockpot, use a casserole and cook covered in a 325°F (165°C) oven.

While the above recipe will make an adequate Beef en Daube, you may find the flavor a little one dimensional.  In cooking, you can add depths of flavor by a number of different techniques.  To make a more flavorful Beef en Daube, try the following:

Method 2

1. Fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon from the fat and set aside.
2. Working in batches if necessary, brown the meat on all sides in the hot bacon fat.  Place on a plate covered with two layers of paper towel to remove some of the excess fat.
3. Stick the pointed ends of the cloves into the outside of the onion halves.  This makes them easier to remove later.  Brown the cut surfaces of the onion halves in the bacon fat.  Drain on paper towel with the meat.
4. Put all of the ingredients, except the pearl onions, mushrooms, butter and flour, into the crockpot.  Following the manufacturers directions, cook for 4 to 6 hours, until the meat is tender.  If your crockpot has a heat adjustment, use the lowest heat that will keep the liquid at a very low boil.
5. About a half hour before the dish is done, remove the large onion halves, bay leaves and the pieces of carrot using a slotted spoon.
6. Saute the pearl onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil over medium high heat until browned.  Add to the crockpot and cook 30 minutes longer.
7. In a bowl, mix together the butter and flour to make a paste.
8. Using your fingers, crumble about half of the butter and flour mixture into the liquid and stir.  Cover and allow to return to a boil to thicken the gravy.  If necessary, add more of the mixture and repeat until the gravy is the desired thickness.
9. Skim off the surface fat and serve hot, accompanied with mashed potatoes.

The few extra step of browning the meat, onions and mushrooms will pay off in making a much tastier dish.

The butter and flour mixture is referred to as a beurre manié, or kneaded butter. The butter helps to keep the flour from clumping, and adds richness to the dish.  If you prefer not to use butter, you can make a slurry of the flour with 1/4 of water and use that to thicken the liquid.  As with the recipe above, use about half and see how thick the gravy gets before adding more.

Beef en Daube can be made a day or two ahead and reheated gently before serving.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Can I Use Olive Oil to Marinate Beef

I have a family favorite flank steak marinade that uses vegetable oil.  Can I substitute olive oil (health reasons) and get the same taste and marinade?  I am worried that when the meat is marinaded over night in the refrigerator that the olive oil will harden.  Thank you for your assistance.

--Sandy

The reason for using fat of any sort in a marinade is because many flavor compounds dissolve in fat, but very little or not at all in water.  The oil carries those flavor compounds onto the surface of the meat.

Very little oil is actually needed to accomplish this.  Only enough to lightly coat the meat.  For a typical marinade, a few tablespoons of oil per cup of other liquids should be enough.  The exception, of course, being pastes that are made of herbs puréed in an oil base, like pesto.

Contrary to popular belief, the oil does not help to tenderize the meat.  Marinades only penetrate the outer 1/8" (3 mm) or so and therefore can not affect the interior.  Since the meat is made up largely of muscle fibers which are saturated with water, it is almost impossible for the oil in particular to penetrate even that far.

So, to answer your question, olive oil will be perfectly fine, as it doesn't have to stay liquid to do its job.  In fact, I use olive oil for marinades all of the time.

In order to be sure that the oil soluble flavor compounds are carried to the meat, finely chop any fresh herbs that you use, and mince or press garlic.  Combine the herbs, spices and other flavoring ingredients like garlic with the oil before adding the other liquids.  Also, I am a fan of putting the meat and marinade into a resealable plastic bag, since this allows you to redistribute the marinade by "massaging" the meat through the bag.  This helps distribute the oil, and therefore the flavors, over the surface of the meat.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Salting Meat Before Cooking

I love grilled steak but am never sure if I should salt it before putting it on the grill.  I have heard that salting the meat before cooking it will cause the juices to leak out of it.  Is that true?  When is the correct time to salt a steak you are going to grill?

Some people prefer to salt their meat after it has been seared, exactly because of your concerns.

There is some truth to the comment that if you salt meat before cooking it that it will lose some of its juices, but is that necessarily bad?  The deep rich flavor of a grilled streak comes largely from a chemical change called the Maillard Reaction (see Browning Meat for Slow Cooker) that occurs when the natural sugars and proteins in meat are heated  together.  If you salt meat shortly before cooking, the salt will draw out some of the juices, which are rich in those sugars and proteins, onto the surface.  Then, when you grill the meat, you will get even better browning and more flavor.

If, however, you leave the salted meat sit, you will see a puddle of juices collect.  This is because of a process called osmosis that moves water from inside the cells to outside.  But an interesting thing will happen if you wait a bit longer.  The osmotic effect will reverse as the salt becomes diluted, and the liquid starts to be absorbed again.  This reversal will start in about 20 or 30 minutes.  While not all of the juices will be reabsorbed, in effect what you get is a quick brining that penetrates the outer surface of the meat.

Now, if you grill the meat, it won't be so dried out from losing liquid, but the salt will be in the meat rather than on the surface.

The worst case scenario is salting the meat and then leaving it sit for 5 or 10 minutes.   Then both juices from the meat and most of the salt will be left behind on the plate.

I suggest you try experimenting with salting the meat shortly before cooking and waiting just until it gets a slight sheen of liquid on the surface, compared to leaving the meat sit for 30 minutes or so until some of the juices are reabsorbed.  See which method you prefer.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Getting Cheeky

I see a lot  dishes at fancy restaurants featuring beef cheeks.  What are they, and how are they best prepared?

--Alana

Beef cheeks are exactly what they sound like.  They are the muscles in the facial cheeks of cattle.  They are a finely textured meat with some internal silverskin.

Following the general rule that the more a muscle is used, the tougher it gets when cooked, beef cheeks are best marinaded overnight and then braised in a long, slow process.  This technique produced the tenderest results.  You can use your favorite recipe for braised beef ribs, classic French Boeuf en Daube, or even Osso Bucco recipe, although the last one may need to cook longer at a lower temperature. Personally, I would lean toward something that uses a full bodied red wine and a hearty beef stock.

If you can't find a beef cheeks, brisket or flank can be used instead, although the texture may be not quite as fine.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

How Long will Leftover Turkey Keep in the Fridge?

We roasted a fresh turkey un-stuffed on Thanksgiving and the left-over pieces have been stored in the refrigerator in it's own container.  How long is too long to safely consume the left-over turkey?  Thank you.

--Betty

In our house, most of the leftover turkey is consumed for late night snacks or lunch the next day as Turkey Buns.  In fact, I have been known to say the only reason to roast a turkey for supper is to have leftovers for turkey buns.  Still, there is always some leftover for turkey with gravy, tetrazzini or some other dish.

The general rule for meat is that it will safely keep for about three days, provided that:

• the meat was thoroughly cooked;
• it was not left in the "danger zone" temperatures of between 140°F (60°C) and 40°F (4°C) for more than two hours; and
• the refrigerator is kept below 40°F (4°C).

If any of the above is not done, then the storage time will be reduced, and the risk of food-borne illness greatly increased.

For turkey and chicken, the meat must be cooked to at least 165°F (74°C) throughout, although you likely want to cook the dark meat to closer to 180°F (82°C) for the best results.  If the turkey had been stuffed, then the stuffing should be completely removed from the bird and refrigerated separately.  Because of the extra moisture in stuffing, it will only keep for one or at most two days.    See the posting "Dis-dressed Turkey" for more about stuffing safety.

As much as possible, the meat should be stored in large pieces.  Most food safety experts recommend taking all of the meat off of the bones before refrigerating.  The carcass can be discarded or used to make stock or soup.

Reheat the leftover turkey to at least 165°F (74°C), preferably in gravy, or some other sauce, before serving.

To learn more about how long food can be left out before refrigeration and the danger zone, read How Long Can Cooked Food Be Left Out.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Cooking Two Roasts at Once

Hi.  I managed to find two beef roasts of about 8 pounds each that together are enough to serve company coming for Easter dinner.  My question is, how long do I need to cook them?  Do I treat them like one 16 pound roast?

--Shaun

The amount of time that it takes a roast to cook depends on two major factors:  the temperature at which the meat is cooked and the thickness of the meat.  By thickness, I mean the shortest distance from side to side through the middle of the roast.  For a standing rib roast, that would likely be the distance running across the ribs at the center.  For tenderloin, the distance would the the diameter at the thickest point, not the length.

Weight is used to estimate how long it will take enough heat to reach the center, which is why in recipes there is a frequently a wide variation in the range of cooking times, and why they may give a shorter time per pound for very large pieces to cook.

If you were to place the roasts together so that they are in contact along one side, then the cooking time would be somewhere around double the time needed to cook just one of the roasts alone.  If your oven and roasting pans are large enough to accommodate both roasts at once with plenty of space between them for air to circulate well, then the roasting time for both will likely be only slightly more than the time needed to cook just one of them.

This assumes that your oven can keep its temperature high enough.  Because the oven heat is going into cooking both of them at the same time, two roasts will cool the oven down faster than one, so the heating element may be on for a greater portion of the cooking time.

You should still use a thermometer to check the temperature.  For beef, the USDA recommends cooking temperatures of 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, 160°F (71°C) for medium, and 170°F (77°C) for well done.  The Joy of Cooking specifies temperatures that are somewhat lower, 130-135°F (54-57°C) for medium-rare, 140-150°F (60-66°C) for medium, but about the same for well done at 170-185°F (77-85°C).  The lower cooking temperatures allow, in part, for the fact that the temperature will rise as the meat rests after cooking.

A roast is usually allowed to rest 15 to 30 minutes once it is taken out on the oven.  Since the outer part of the roast will be hotter than the center as it comes out of the oven, resting allows for more even distribution of heat throughout the roast and may make carving easier.  To rest the roast, place it on a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.  I also drape over that one or two layers of clean cloth kitchen towels to help keep in a bit more of the heat.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Rainbow Colors on Meat

I notice sometimes that meat in the display counter at my local butcher shop has a green and magenta sheen to it.  What causes this?  Is the meat still okay to eat?

--Toni

What you are noticing is likely a phenomenon referred to as iridescence, or more technically birefringence.  Essentially, this is the same effect as light passing through a crystal and splitting into a rainbow of colors, only the rainbow is from light reflecting off of a surface rather than passing through something.  This can happen with either fresh cut or cured meats, and depends mostly on the angle at which the muscle fiber happens to have been cut.

Birefringence is more noticeable on darker colored meats like beef that lighter ones like chicken because the dark background gives greater contrast.

Provided that it is caused by the reflection of light from the surface and not a permanent green color to the meat, it is still safe to eat.  You can tell by moving the light source, the meat or yourself to a different position and seeing if the rainbow colors shift or disappear.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Roast Turkey Temperature

When roasting a turkey, what temperature should it be cooked to and what is the best way to measure the temperature.

--Brenda

Ideally, the meat on the breast of a turkey should be roasted to 165°F (74°C) to be at its most tender.  However the leg and thigh need to be cooked slightly higher, to between 175°F (80°C) and 180°F (82°C).  At those temperatures, the light and dark meats are at their most tender and moist.  Above those temperatures, the proteins start to tighten, squeezing out moisture and leaving the meat drier.

There are a lot of techniques that have been devised for getting around this temperature difference.  The Joy of Cooking suggests roasting the bird breast down or on one side for about two hours and then flipping it on its back to finish.  In The Way to Cook, Julia Child suggests breaking the turkey down into pieces before roasting.  Because the drumsticks and thighs are away from the larger breast, they will cook faster.  The cooked turkey can be carved and presented as if it had been roasted whole.

The easiest method is simply to roast the turkey whole and cover the breast with a double layer of aluminum foil for the last half hour or so of cooking.

Total cooking time depends on the size of the bird and whether or not it is stuffed.  Smaller birds and those that are not stuffed will cook faster.  In general, allow about 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey and about 12 minutes per pound if it is not stuffed.  Also, remember to add 20 minutes to a half hour resting time once the turkey comes out of the oven before carving it.

To measure temperature for a whole roasted turkey, plunge an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone, but towards the body and wait until the needle stops moving.  If the tip of the thermometer is close to or touching bone, the reading will not be accurate.  Measure the temperature of the breast by plunging the tip of the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, again away from any bone.  The temperatures should both be at least those noted above.  If you break the turkey down, each piece must be tested for temperature individually.

Also, remember that to be safe the stuffing should read at least 165°F (74°C), measured by inserting the thermometer into the deepest part of the stuffing.  See the posting "Dis-dressed Turkey" for more about stuffing safety.

Finally, if your turkey comes with one of those pop-up buttons to show when it is done, still check with a thermometer.  The button is only an estimate and may not be completely reliable.

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward