is it a bad idea to take chicken off at 160 degrees instead

[brady martin]

of 165?

since it keeps cooking and goes up perhaps 10 degrees i think it will be cooked properly.

the reason i ask is the chicken comes out dry sometimes. i am using a thermapen so i doubt its the thermometer.

 

[K Kruger]

Not if you're talking breast, no - that's as high as I go.

Residual cooking is minimal.

 

[John09]

I've never had 10 degrees of carry over in chicken but if you do, you can factor that in your cook and pull early to compensate just like you would pull a big steak early.

Here's a fun document. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde...e_poultry_tables.pdf You'll see that you have to hold your poultry for X time at Y temperature for a given fat value. Worst case scenario you wind up needing to hold 160 for 17 seconds for chicken or 27 seconds for turkey. I think it would be hard to get it 160 and not have it hold that long. But I suppose in the interest of being foolproof, 165 is listed as being instant.

 

[K Kruger]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">But I suppose in the interest of being foolproof, 165 is listed as being instant. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It's in the interest of dumbing it down for the consumer. Just like stating the top end of the Danger Zone is 140. It isn't. It's 130.

 

[Gerry D.]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Not if you're talking breast, no - that's as high as I go.

Residual cooking is minimal. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just out of curiosity what temp do you take thigh and legs to?

 

[K Kruger]

I cook leg quarters sometimes but not legs alone. Thighs I cook often.

Anyway, I go for crisp skin so don't usually temp them as the skin crisps nicely after the safety point of 160 is reached. On the occasions I do temp them it's just to see they are > 160 and then I simply remove them when the skin is right.

On the occasions where skin finish is not the operative issue - 175? or so. Higher work too, in most cases, as it takes a while for thighs to overcook.

 

[K Kruger]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">You'll see that you have to hold your poultry for X time at Y temperature for a given fat value. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, it is time @ temp for everything. Also see here, and for pork trichina concerns, here.