Throwdown #3 - Poultry


 
If it has feathers it qualifies. Turkey, Duck, Chicken, parts or pieces or the whole thing. I am hoping we will see some new exciting things from this one.

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In honor of Fat Tuesday, I present a dish that may have the longest name in the history of TVWBB:

Cajun Smothered Smoked Brined Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.

Ingredients.
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Working clockwise from the top, we have:
• A foil pan of diced homemade Andouille, sliced red pepper, onion, celery, garlic, thyme and my special blend of black, white and red pepper.
• A cakepan full of grits.
• Frozen corn.
• Ro-Tel like tomatoes.
• Abita Turbo Dog, which is a fine Louisiana brown ale with a lot of chocolate stout characteristics.
• Chicken breasts in a brine of salt, brown sugar and salt-free Cajun seasoning.

On the grill, smoking indirect with pecan wood.
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After a smoke, the veg pan was added with a splash of beer for steam.
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Outdoor pictures suffered after this point due to a lack of light, or perhaps a surplus of Abita, but once the vegetables were sufficiently cooked the pan was deglazed with more beer and the chicken was added – kind of in a hot tub bratwurst style.

Chicken resting along with the rest of the meal: Erin's fried grit cakes and Maque Choux.
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Plated. The chicken and grit cakes were smothered with the vegetable mixture.
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This was a really enjoyable dish to make, and I will admit my first attempt at brining BS breasts. This will become a regular in my rotation, too. Not only was it some of the best tasting and juiciest boneless skinless chicken I've had, but some of the best chicken period. Thanks for looking, and please join in the fun and throw down!
 
My entry is as much as my daughter's as it is mine. One of her favorite things is roasted chicken, and she's been begging us to get her a "baby chicken" ever since she first saw one. We found some at a market in NYC and we couldn't resist. They were labeled as "poussin" which I discovered means it's literally a baby chicken.

She designed the whole meal, so we avoided pepper and went heavy on the herbs. Her idea for the salad was basically a pile of herbs, but I convinced her to try arugula by telling her it was similar to one of her summer favorites: sorrel.

Here's the baby chickens, dusted with salt that had been ground with lemon zest and fresh thyme:
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on the grill:
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baby chicken!
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and plated on a bed of arugula and herbs with a herb, lemon vinaigrette, and roasted fingerling potatoes:
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Is it my imagination, or has your daughter grown up since the last pic I saw of her? Its only natural I suppose...
Congrats on the dad/daughter team. Nice chix! I could eat four or five of those!
 
Awesome cooks guys! Now I need to find baby chickens. I was at the new store by my house today where they are selling free range chickens for $16 each! Is there really that big of a difference than the regular ones? JB? Anyone?
 
I only eat free range chickens, but mostly because my aunt has a hobby farm and she let's us buy baby birds and roost them with hers. Is free range better? IMO, yes. Birds that aren't confined to a box barely bigger than their bodies and fed cheap food tend to have a better taste. It's the same with other meats. Buy yourself some Berkshire Pork, or wagyu beef and you'll probably never eat regular pork and beef again.

All that being said, I think buying free range chicken in the store isn't justified because they inflate the prices knowing people who want better products are okay with getting raped to get them. I feel the same way about things like ox tails, lamb shanks and celery root as well, they used to be cheap until the foodies found out about them and stores realized how much profit they can make on them.

Sorry for the rant...now back to battle poultry!!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Is it my imagination, or has your daughter grown up since the last pic I saw of her? Its only natural I suppose... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

yes, unlike the baby chickens her growth has not been arrested
icon_biggrin.gif
. As a parent, I find I advance with her in steps rather than gradually. One day I'll take the time to figure out what she's capable of doing and realize she's far more capable than I had thought.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Jeff, ya gotta frame this shot! Beautiful!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know, I liked it too, but despite using a tripod, the sharpness was off. I should have used a timer on the shutter because I'm thinking it was because of me pushing down on it.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Is there really that big of a difference than the regular ones? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

the poussin were indeed free range and cost $8.99/lb.

1) the label "free range" has a specific definition in the US that is not exactly what one assumes it to be (its a big time lie). Never pay more for the label "free range" unless you know exactly where the bird came from

2) the biggest thing I notice with a healthy bird is the condition of the skin which will be entirely bright and even. Cheap grocery birds will have purple areas at the tip of the drums, on the wing tips and spots along the body that come in contact with the ground (these birds grow so quickly and abnormally that they have trouble standing up). These are phosphate burns from dragging around in their own feces. Keep in mind that I don't belong to PETA or anything, its just real info and personal observations. After working with some clean birds recently, I'm having a hard time thinking about the cheaper ones.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Buy yourself some Berkshire Pork, or wagyu beef and you'll probably never eat regular pork and beef again.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

agreed. but just like the "free range" label, you have to do your homework. Because of the higher price point of these breed labels, the big, industrial farms are raising them too. And they are crossing them with other breeds so they still use the designation but grow them fast, lean and bland, just the way Americans like it.

Rather than trying to figure out supermarket meat, I prefer to buy from local growers were the facts are more transparent. But even then, you still have to seek out good meat. Just because some family owns a farm and is raising heritage animals, doesn't automatically mean they know what they are doing.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
All that being said, I think buying free range chicken in the store isn't justified because they inflate the prices knowing people who want better products are okay with getting raped to get them. I feel the same way about things like ox tails, lamb shanks and celery root as well, they used to be cheap until the foodies found out about them and stores realized how much profit they can make on them </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

agreed, there is some inflation at the supermarkets, that why I generally don't buy meat from them. However, good food does have a cost and we need to accept that. In the US, we are starting at food prices that are incomparable with anywhere else in the world (and anytime in history). I heard a stat that modern Americans spend the least amount of time and percentage of income on food, compared to any humans ever. We have created this huge food machine and have become entirely too comfortable with cheap, bad food.

Foodies, rather than being the problem, are the solution. I believe as more people become educated about what good food is and what it cost to produce in sustainable ways, the market will adjust to it. Yes, good, sustainable food is more expensive, but it will move out of its niche/boutique status only when more of us move in that direction.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Foodies, rather than being the problem, are the solution. I believe as more people become educated about what good food is and what it cost to produce in sustainable ways, the market will adjust to it. Yes, good, sustainable food is more expensive, but it will move out of its niche/boutique status only when more of us move in that direction. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
A well spoken response Jeff. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I agree (although I hate the term foodie ; sounds too fetishistic to me). You'd think with the diet/health concerns of Americans, and the popularity of the Food Channel that the move toward a greater sensibility of quality food (in all its forms) would be on the rise. Maybe it is, but it seems to be taking its time. You would think that a more active role in understanding/choosing where our food comes from, how its raised or grown and how its cooked would be a goal of every food-hungry individual. I think the consciousness of this attitude is on the rise, but its hard to fight the fast food lifestyle of so much of us. We value hard work and accomplishment, but maybe have trouble integrating that into the more time-consuming food consciousness to make definite lifestyle changes. My apologies for the hijack...
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:

1) the label "free range" has a specific definition in the US that is not exactly what one assumes it to be (its a big time lie). Never pay more for the label "free range" unless you know exactly where the bird came from

2) the biggest thing I notice with a healthy bird is the condition of the skin which will be entirely bright and even. Cheap grocery birds will have purple areas at the tip of the drums, on the wing tips and spots along the body that come in contact with the ground (these birds grow so quickly and abnormally that they have trouble standing up). These are phosphate burns from dragging around in their own feces. Keep in mind that I don't belong to PETA or anything, its just real info and personal observations. After working with some clean birds recently, I'm having a hard time thinking about the cheaper ones.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Buy yourself some Berkshire Pork, or wagyu beef and you'll probably never eat regular pork and beef again.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

agreed. but just like the "free range" label, you have to do your homework. Because of the higher price point of these breed labels, the big, industrial farms are raising them too. And they are crossing them with other breeds so they still use the designation but grow them fast, lean and bland, just the way Americans like it.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
All that being said, I think buying free range chicken in the store isn't justified because they inflate the prices knowing people who want better products are okay with getting raped to get them. I feel the same way about things like ox tails, lamb shanks and celery root as well, they used to be cheap until the foodies found out about them and stores realized how much profit they can make on them </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

agreed, there is some inflation at the supermarkets, that why I generally don't buy meat from them. However, good food does have a cost and we need to accept that. In the US, we are starting at food prices that are incomparable with anywhere else in the world (and anytime in history). I heard a stat that modern Americans spend the least amount of time and percentage of income on food, compared to any humans ever. We have created this huge food machine and have become entirely too comfortable with cheap, bad food.

Foodies, rather than being the problem, are the solution. I believe as more people become educated about what good food is and what it cost to produce in sustainable ways, the market will adjust to it. Yes, good, sustainable food is more expensive, but it will move out of its niche/boutique status only when more of us move in that direction. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Now, this reply really needs its own thread. !

It is not unusual for me to pay at least 20 to 30 dollars for a pound of quality meat.

And also- "free range" is not without negative consequences. If you are willing to pay for a free range chicken, and also a 100% guarantee that the chicken is salmonella free, you will have to pay for a test on that particular chicken. There is no other way to do this, if the birds are free- range birds.
 
Geir, I think about you guys when ever meat prices are discussed around here. In the US, there isn't much difference between the retail price of ground beef and the retail price of corn. Which makes no sense, since it takes many many pounds of corn to make a pound of beef. Beef should be 10 to 20 times the price of corn.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I think the consciousness of this attitude is on the rise, but its hard to fight the fast food lifestyle of so much of us. We value hard work and accomplishment, but maybe have trouble integrating that into the more time-consuming food consciousness to make definite lifestyle changes. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The influence that big agribusiness has over our government is underestimated. I found this interesting bit on a NY milk label:

"our farmers pledge: from cows not treated with with artificial growth hormones"

and under that:

"No significant difference has been shown in milk derived from artificial growth hormone-treated cows"

say what you want about any of it (The second part could very well be true), but the fact that the farmers who use artificial growth hormones must have lobbied to get a law passed that states all milk, including milk from artificial growth hormone free cows, must have that on their label. NY has a big dairy industry and apparently, the artificial farmers are stronger than the more natural ones.

Thank you for you patience during this important message, we now return to your regularly scheduled program
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cue iron chef music
 
PHOENIX AND DRAGON

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I was hoping to make this a month ago for Chinese New Year, but never got around to it. So here it is: <span class="ev_code_RED">Phoenix and Dragon</span>. This dish is usually made for New Year, but there are as many different recipes for this as there are areas of China. The concept is a combo of chicken (phoenix) and shrimp or lobster (dragon). My version may be unique, but is based on Ken Hom's in his book, Oriental Technique. He butterflies the chicken breast, adds a slice of ham, rolls it up, wraps in caul fat and deep fries it. Not bad. Mine uses the addition of lobster in the rolling, held together with toothpicks, dipped in buttermilk with egg and cornstarch, then panko and grilled indirectly. After a couple minutes, the rolls are sprayed with a little canola oil to help in the crisping (a la kettle fried chicken).
Sides: Broccoli crowns are tossed in marinade of black vinegar, sugar, salt, chili flakes, olive oil. Also, Stir-fried eggplant, black mushroom and lobster claw meat with ginger, garlic, scallions, dow see (Chinese salted black beans as condiment), toasted sesame oil. Served with long grain jasmine rice and roasted red pepper coulis.
Thanks for looking! Cheers!

Roasting the pepper.
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Butterflied/flattened chicken breast with slice of ham, and 1/2 lobster tail, dusted with cornstarch.
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On the grill, indirectly (only two have the lobster; the others just chicken and ham).
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Sliced.
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Plated.
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Eggplant, lobster, black mushroom stir fry.
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Your plate.
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C'mon folks, you're scaring away any potential competition with these great cooks!

Two wings up on all of them!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bob Correll:
C'mon folks, you're scaring away any potential competition with these great cooks!

Two wings up on all of them! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

What he said. I vote for putting a fork in the Poultry Throwdown while I can still claim a distant third, starting a poll, then moving on to a new one.
 

 

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