Frying Poultry

Poultry pieces can be sauteed, pan-fried, deep-fried, or stir-fried.

Sauteing. Small poultry pieces are placed in a skillet or pan with a small amount of oil for quick preparation. Pieces must be turned to assure adequate doneness. Sauteing can also be used to brown larger poultry pieces prior to their being baked or braised to completion. Read more »

Broiling or Grilling

Except when cooking a whole bird on a spit over hot coals, only cut-up poultry is used for broiling or grilling. It is frequently marinated or coated with butter and seasonings before being broiled or grilled. In the interest of food safety, marination must take place under refrigeration. Read more »

Determining Doneness of Poultry
Poultry should always be heated until well done to enhance flavor and to minimize the risk of foodborne bacterial illnesses. Doneness may be determined by internal temperature, color changes, and/or touch and time/weight tables. Read more »

General Preparation of Poultry

As a prelude to preparation, all ready-to-cook poultry should be washed inside and out and then patted dry with paper towels. Dish towels should not be used, because they can become a habitat for microorganisms. About one-fourth of all chickens in the United States carry Salmonella, and about half carry Campylobacter jejuni. Read more »

How much poultry to buy?

Ready-to-cook poultry contains a good deal of inedible bone and unwanted fat, which must be taken into consideration when deciding how much to buy. A good rule of thumb for most poultry is to buy 1/2 pound or slightly more per serving, except for ducks and geese, which have more fat to melt off, resulting in less yield. Read more »

Convenience is available to consumers and food manufacturers in the form of processed poultry products. Processed chicken and turkey are commonly used in canned or dried soups, frozen dinners, pot pies, sausages, hot dogs, burgers, and bologna. In addition, larger pieces of processed poultry meat minus the bone are sold as boneless turkey breast, roll, and ham. These meats are made from mechanically deboned poultry in which the bone fragments have been removed. The larger cuts are easy to carve and have a characteristic texture due to binders and other compounds that have been added.

Types and Styles of Poultry

Poultry comes to market in a number of different types and styles. “Types” refers to whether it is fresh, frozen, cooked, sliced, canned, or dehydrated. “Style” describes the degree to which it has been cleaned or processed, i.e. live, dressed, ready-to-cook, or convenience categories. Read more »

Grading of Poultry

The grading of poultry is voluntary and is paid for by the producer. Three grades are used: A, B, and C. Grade A is the best and refers to a chicken that is full-fleshed and meets standards of appearance. The criteria used in grading are the conformation (the shape of the carcass), the fleshing (the amount of meat on the bird), the amount and distribution of fat, and freedom from blemishes such as pinfeathers, skin discoloration, broken bones, and skin cuts and tears. Read more »

Turkeys and chickens have both white and dark meat, the lightness or darkness depending on the amount of myoglobin content in the muscle. Higher amounts of the red-pigmented myoglobin are found in muscles that are used more frequently, such as those of the thighs and drumsticks. Since domesticated chickens and turkeys do almost no flying, their little-used breast meat is white. Wild birds such as ducks have darker breast meat because they actually use the muscles for flying.

Classification of poultry

Ready-to-eat poultry is classified according to age and gender. Classifications vary from species to species, with chickens classified as broilers, fryers, etc, and turkeys as toms and hens. In the past there was a “stewing hen” classification in the chicken category, but such a designation is now rare. Younger poultry are usually preferred because they are more tender and have less fat than older birds. Read more »