SeanCan'tCook
Cook
Rarely do I find a need for using a marinade...
OK, I'll bite. How then do you get flavor out of boneless, skinless chicken breasts?
Lodge Logic Grillpan
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OK, I'll bite. How then do you get flavor out of boneless, skinless chicken breasts?
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I do it by brining.
SeanCan'tCook
Cook
In another thread I started awhile back on cooking chicken breasts, I was told if the label says they're packed in a "water solution" or something like that then they're already brined.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Yes that is true. I by ones that have not already been brined so I can do it myself and control the amount of salt and other ingredients go into mine.
SeanCan'tCook
Cook
I have a grocery store literally right next door to me; a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. The only two choices in boneless, skinless chicken breasts there are Tyson's and the house brand, both of which are packed in a water solution, according to the labels.
If they are brined, though, then I'm doing something wrong in cooking them. I've tried braising them on a cast iron grillpan with a little olive oil, then finishing them in the oven, and they were pretty bland.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
I don't care for brining - much prefer marinating, but the commercial brining is basically just a salt-solution to help the meat remain juicy. Homemade brine solutions usually contain herbs, spices, & sometimes other liquids to add more flavor. Obviously commercial brines aren't going to have this because seasoning is a matter of personal taste & they're trying to produce something that will appeal to the widest number of consumers.
Just out of curiousity Sean - do you ever peruse & try actual recipes, or do you just fly off the seat of your pants when cooking? If the latter, then maybe you should try following some simple recipes that sound interesting to you in order to get a better idea of procedures, timing, & seasonings that appeal.
Just out of curiousity Sean - do you ever peruse & try actual recipes, or do you just fly off the seat of your pants when cooking? If the latter, then maybe you should try following some simple recipes that sound interesting to you in order to get a better idea of procedures, timing, & seasonings that appeal.
SeanCan'tCook
Cook
I do try actual recipes, but many are terribly inefficient for me. I'm single, cooking for one, so recipes that call for fresh herbs, etc. are really inefficient for me as I have to buy the quantity they sell in the store, use the amoung called for in the recipe, then the rest goes bad. If I cook three chciken breast, that's three meals; two or three days' food.
And most recipes I've seen don't offer advice on procedures; they say: marinate chicken breasts over night, sear, then place in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. I've never seen one that said I'd better remove all marinade before searing or I will spend 40 minutes scrubbing until my hands cramp and cursing vehemently.
I guess part of the problem is I'm not a good cook, and don't aspire to be one. I would be very happy if I could simply replace 5-6 meals eaten out each week with healthier ones cooked at home. I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of flavor for simplicity, convenience, and cost savings. Every time I buy 10 bucks worth of fresh herbs, cook a batch of chicken breasts only to have the unused herbs go bad, every time I spend 40 minutes scrubbing a single dish, etc., it just disheartens me more.
I understand the disconnect; the knowledgable people on these boards are patrons of the art of cuisine. Cooking is a hobby they enjoy tremendously; it's their passion. It's much different for me. I work about 50 hours a week. The rest of my time is spent doing calculus proofs for a poker learning system I'm developing; I just don't have time.
My ideal recipe would be a marinade or rub I could make with oil and dry spices and herbs that don't cost so much and don't go bad if I choose not to repeat the same recipe till they're gone, that I could cook in 30 minutes to an hour and that I could clean up after in 15 to 20 minutes without having to scrub till my hands cramp.
I haven't eaten mammals in three years, and I don't like seafood, so If I could find two or three recipes for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that fit that criteria, I'd be golden. So far, no luck.
And most recipes I've seen don't offer advice on procedures; they say: marinate chicken breasts over night, sear, then place in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. I've never seen one that said I'd better remove all marinade before searing or I will spend 40 minutes scrubbing until my hands cramp and cursing vehemently.
I guess part of the problem is I'm not a good cook, and don't aspire to be one. I would be very happy if I could simply replace 5-6 meals eaten out each week with healthier ones cooked at home. I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of flavor for simplicity, convenience, and cost savings. Every time I buy 10 bucks worth of fresh herbs, cook a batch of chicken breasts only to have the unused herbs go bad, every time I spend 40 minutes scrubbing a single dish, etc., it just disheartens me more.
I understand the disconnect; the knowledgable people on these boards are patrons of the art of cuisine. Cooking is a hobby they enjoy tremendously; it's their passion. It's much different for me. I work about 50 hours a week. The rest of my time is spent doing calculus proofs for a poker learning system I'm developing; I just don't have time.
My ideal recipe would be a marinade or rub I could make with oil and dry spices and herbs that don't cost so much and don't go bad if I choose not to repeat the same recipe till they're gone, that I could cook in 30 minutes to an hour and that I could clean up after in 15 to 20 minutes without having to scrub till my hands cramp.
I haven't eaten mammals in three years, and I don't like seafood, so If I could find two or three recipes for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that fit that criteria, I'd be golden. So far, no luck.
Uncle Bob
Chef Extraordinaire
........
Kinda hard to get flavor out when there's not much there to begin with.~~~
I'll skip the use, misuse, and common misunderstandings of the myriad malodorous mixtures masquerading as meaningful marinades.... for now ~~~
Suggest adding flavor ON.. as a better alternative in the form of seasonings (herbs, spices etc) and sauces..
Try this....Take two Wally World B/S chicken breast and pound them flat....
Salt and pepper to taste..dredge lightly in flour...saute in a mixture of butter and olive oil until just done, and remove to a warm platter. Do Not Overcook!! De-glaze the pan with a little dry white wine and reduce by 1/2...add a little chicken stock, and again reduce by about 1/2..Add 1 sprig of fresh Tarragon, or a teaspoon of Dry Tarragon if that's what you have.Turn the heat off..remove pan from the heat and add in several pats of butter (not margarine) As it melts.. very, very gently stir it in...pour the sauce over the Chicken and enjoy! ~~ Adding a tablespoon of Capers right before you add the butter can be an interesting addition...HTH
Good Luck and Enjoy!
Edit to add!~~ I also grill a lot of chicken breast. Try it if that's an option for you!
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
UB - you just described what Sean does NOT want to have to do re: his previous post - lol!!
And Sean - the reason why recipes don't tell you to wash/dry/remove all the marinade is because you don't have to. Regardless of what others here may claim. Wouldn't you think if it was necessary some cookbook somewhere would make mention of it? I've never done it, have never seen a single recipe in my thousands of cookbooks collection say to do it, yadayadayada.
I know you work long hours, but since you're committed (& commendably so) to eating at home in a more healthy fashion, it might be worth it to do a little research online &/or at a bookstore or library for one or two cookbooks geared towards cooking for one or two. Such items ARE out there, & I think would really be a big help to you since they're geared towards food shopping with the least amount of waste & give you pretty good basics.
And don't assume that we're all "patrons of the art of cuisine" - lol!! Yes, I collect cookbooks & yes I love to cook. But my day runs from before dawn frequently till midnight, so I ain't sitting around making frou-frou meals unless I'm able to capture a time segment - lol! In fact, as I type this we're just now about to sit down to dinner.
In closing - DON'T GIVE UP!! Learning to cook a few things that you enjoy eating is the first step. You don't have to become a guru about it. Cooking (& eating what you cook) is supposed to be fun. And we'll help you. Not because we're all high-falutin chefs or anything, but simply because we enjoy it & want you to enjoy it too.
And Sean - the reason why recipes don't tell you to wash/dry/remove all the marinade is because you don't have to. Regardless of what others here may claim. Wouldn't you think if it was necessary some cookbook somewhere would make mention of it? I've never done it, have never seen a single recipe in my thousands of cookbooks collection say to do it, yadayadayada.
I know you work long hours, but since you're committed (& commendably so) to eating at home in a more healthy fashion, it might be worth it to do a little research online &/or at a bookstore or library for one or two cookbooks geared towards cooking for one or two. Such items ARE out there, & I think would really be a big help to you since they're geared towards food shopping with the least amount of waste & give you pretty good basics.
And don't assume that we're all "patrons of the art of cuisine" - lol!! Yes, I collect cookbooks & yes I love to cook. But my day runs from before dawn frequently till midnight, so I ain't sitting around making frou-frou meals unless I'm able to capture a time segment - lol! In fact, as I type this we're just now about to sit down to dinner.
In closing - DON'T GIVE UP!! Learning to cook a few things that you enjoy eating is the first step. You don't have to become a guru about it. Cooking (& eating what you cook) is supposed to be fun. And we'll help you. Not because we're all high-falutin chefs or anything, but simply because we enjoy it & want you to enjoy it too.
SeanCan'tCook
Cook
Breezy,
Clearly, there are two diametrically opposing schools of thought on the removing all marinade issue here. I'm certainly in no position to have an opinion, one way or the other. The obvious question that occurs to me, though, is if not the marinade, what is the crud on the bottom of the pan I had to fight so hard to get off?
And I've bought a few cookbooks specifically for chicken. First, I got The Complete Chicken Breast Cookbook by Marge Poore. A lot of the recipes were for bone in and/or skin on chciken breasts, or were pretty complicated. I next bought Low Fat Chicken Breasts (120 Healthy and Delicious recipes for Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts) by Diane Rozas.
120 recipes! Sounds good to me! Of the 120, I found about 5 that were interesting to me. All required buying fresh herbs, or poaching bags, etc. and were pretty expensive to make, and frankly weren't that good.
It's so frustrating for me. I go to Whattaburger, where the grilled chicken sandwich has so much flavor I eat it plain. I go to Backyard Burger, where the Blackened Chicken Breast sandwich is again so good I have them leave everything off but the slaw. I go to Outback Steakhouse, where the grilled chicken breast is excellent; ironically, better than the steaks. I ate the chicken breast there back when I still ate mammals. My friends used to tease me about going to a steakhouse twice a week and never eating steak. Charleston's, Olive Garden, Steak-N-Shake, Burger King, etc. all serve chicken breasts that are all much more flavorful than the best I've ever been able to come up with myself. They're not just edible, they're good!
Someone mentioned grilling earlier, and I used to grill a lot. I was actually pretty pleased with the steaks and pork chops I grilled, but I've never been able to get any real flavor out of those boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill, so I moved indoors for convenience sake. The grief and work associated with grilling is worth it if there's a flavor payofff, but not at all if there's not.
My primary dietary protein is going to be boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Of the things I eat, it's the healthiest and the one I most enjoy the taste of (except when I cook it).
I need to find ways to cook it that are first and foremost healthy, which means as little butter and salt as possible. I'm sure there is considerable butter and salt used in the preparation of the chicken breasts I enjoy so much when I eat out, but if I'm not going to cut down on that considerably, why go to the trouble and expense of cooking them myself? I'm not expecting what I cook to be as good as they are; I'd be thrilled if they were just good.
Second, I need to find ways to cook them that are simple, quick, and have easy cleanup. None of the chicken breasts I enjoy in restaurants have sauces, etc. They all have caramelized grillmarks on them, and I'd think they have fairly simple preparations
Maybe I'm just expecting too much. I know I've probably spent 200 bucks on grills, skillets, pans, grillpans, bakeware, cookbooks, etc., and I'm having no success. Honestly, if I don't see results soon, I'm just going to go back to eating out every meal. Living longer isn't necessarily a positive if you're going to be absolutely miserable doing it.
At least I have the cast iron skillet for protection in the event of a home invasion.
Clearly, there are two diametrically opposing schools of thought on the removing all marinade issue here. I'm certainly in no position to have an opinion, one way or the other. The obvious question that occurs to me, though, is if not the marinade, what is the crud on the bottom of the pan I had to fight so hard to get off?
And I've bought a few cookbooks specifically for chicken. First, I got The Complete Chicken Breast Cookbook by Marge Poore. A lot of the recipes were for bone in and/or skin on chciken breasts, or were pretty complicated. I next bought Low Fat Chicken Breasts (120 Healthy and Delicious recipes for Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts) by Diane Rozas.
120 recipes! Sounds good to me! Of the 120, I found about 5 that were interesting to me. All required buying fresh herbs, or poaching bags, etc. and were pretty expensive to make, and frankly weren't that good.
It's so frustrating for me. I go to Whattaburger, where the grilled chicken sandwich has so much flavor I eat it plain. I go to Backyard Burger, where the Blackened Chicken Breast sandwich is again so good I have them leave everything off but the slaw. I go to Outback Steakhouse, where the grilled chicken breast is excellent; ironically, better than the steaks. I ate the chicken breast there back when I still ate mammals. My friends used to tease me about going to a steakhouse twice a week and never eating steak. Charleston's, Olive Garden, Steak-N-Shake, Burger King, etc. all serve chicken breasts that are all much more flavorful than the best I've ever been able to come up with myself. They're not just edible, they're good!
Someone mentioned grilling earlier, and I used to grill a lot. I was actually pretty pleased with the steaks and pork chops I grilled, but I've never been able to get any real flavor out of those boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill, so I moved indoors for convenience sake. The grief and work associated with grilling is worth it if there's a flavor payofff, but not at all if there's not.
My primary dietary protein is going to be boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Of the things I eat, it's the healthiest and the one I most enjoy the taste of (except when I cook it).
I need to find ways to cook it that are first and foremost healthy, which means as little butter and salt as possible. I'm sure there is considerable butter and salt used in the preparation of the chicken breasts I enjoy so much when I eat out, but if I'm not going to cut down on that considerably, why go to the trouble and expense of cooking them myself? I'm not expecting what I cook to be as good as they are; I'd be thrilled if they were just good.
Second, I need to find ways to cook them that are simple, quick, and have easy cleanup. None of the chicken breasts I enjoy in restaurants have sauces, etc. They all have caramelized grillmarks on them, and I'd think they have fairly simple preparations
Maybe I'm just expecting too much. I know I've probably spent 200 bucks on grills, skillets, pans, grillpans, bakeware, cookbooks, etc., and I'm having no success. Honestly, if I don't see results soon, I'm just going to go back to eating out every meal. Living longer isn't necessarily a positive if you're going to be absolutely miserable doing it.
At least I have the cast iron skillet for protection in the event of a home invasion.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
One thing that I like to do with chicken is cut it up into bite sized pieces before I cook it. I heat a pan with a little olive oil. Once it is hot I throw in the chicken (which I have salted) and cook until browned. Then I pour in a jar of one of the many Trader Joes sauces they have. I throw in a handful of frozen veggies then slap a cover on the pan and let everything heat through. I serve this over rice or couscous or some other grain. I find it a very easy, healthy, flavorful way to cook chicken. You might not have a Trader Joes near you, but don't let that stop you. There are other premade sauces in jars in the regular supermarket.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Great minds think alike GB - lol!! I LOVE to do that too. In fact, I probably use boneless skinless chicken breasts (& thighs) cut into bitesize pieces more than any other manner. I too use them with the Trader Joe "simmer sauces". In addition, the many different Trader Joe vegetable bruschetta spreads & chutneys - thinned with a little chicken stock - also make nice sauces for both chicken & shrimp (their "Tomato Chutney" is fabulous as a shrimp "simmer sauce"!).
Bite-size boneless skinless chicken also makes regular appearances in many different Asian-style stirfries - also a fast & wonderfully healthy way to eat.
I would have brought all this up sooner, but the OP seemed to only be interested in whole-breast grilling here.
Bite-size boneless skinless chicken also makes regular appearances in many different Asian-style stirfries - also a fast & wonderfully healthy way to eat.
I would have brought all this up sooner, but the OP seemed to only be interested in whole-breast grilling here.
CStanford
Cook
Sean, you will gradually have to train your tastebuds to appreciate more subtle flavorings if the over-amped and MSG laden dry rubs, marinades, and injectables used by fast food establishments appeal to you. Try a free range chicken instead of one raised on a factory farm by the battery method. I can tell you that eating chicken in France, at a decent restaurant, is like eating a difference species animal altogether - much more natural chicken flavor. Free range chicken from the US is not quite as good but a vast improvement over the Bag 'O Breasts you are probably buying at the supermarket.
web-collage
Senior Cook
I have had a grill pan like this for a year and really like it. I don't clean it every time, only when the grooves look too gunky to put anything else on. Rinsing with hot water keeps it clean enough and a stiff brush dedicated to cleaning just this pan works fine. Forget the steel wool stuff. Scrub while running hot water down the grooves. I have some 100 year old cast iron pieces so well seasoned that NOTHING ever sticks, but I do run hot water and sometimes a bit of soap into them for cleaning.
You can toast bread for crossini on it too.
You can toast bread for crossini on it too.
SeanCan'tCook
Cook
OK, so I decided to go back to basics. I got one of those dry McCormick Grill Mates marinade mixes. Threw 1/4 cup of olive oil in the blender, replaced the 1/4 cup of water the directions called for with 1/4 cup of chicken stock, mixed it up, and poured it over 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a small, square Pyrex container. 6 hours later, I turned the chicken breasts over in the marinade and stuck them back in the refridgerator.
Here's where I thought I might've screwed things up, cause I forgot all about them for three days. They had a kind of greenish tint to them, but I decided to try cooking them up, anyway.
I took my 12" non stick pan, put in a little bit of olive oil and let it pre-heat while I patted the breasts dry with paper towels, then seared both sides, then put them in a covered Pyrex casserole dish, poured the rest of the marinade over them and finished them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
I let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then cut off a piece of one and let Lily the Sabre-Toothed Retriever look it over. She gobbled it right up, tail wagging all the way, so I figured the three-day marinade and greenish tint hadn't hurt it, so I plated one for myself.
It was the best I'd ever cooked for myself, by far. Moist, tender, and full of flavor.
Not just that, but the pan cleaned up with a few wipes of the sponge. No crud stuck to it at all.
A few thoughts:
* With the flat pan, more area of the chicken breast is caramelized than with the grillpan. I think this improves the flavor.
* The cleanup on the blender is kind of a drag, so I got a small 2 cup graduated container with a screw on top for mixing my marinades in the future.
* I think finishing them off in the oven in the covered casserole dish is what keeps them moist and tender, trapping the moisture within the casserole.
* I'm not really sure what effect the 3 1/2 day marinade had on the taste, I put some more in the fridge to marinate last night, and will cook them today to see (unless i forget).
* I got some liquid smoke to try to see if it adds a little more whang to it.
* I'm not sure what the cast iron pan offers in flavor over the non stick pan, I sure never noticed it. Even if it did, the ease of cleanup with the non stick pan more than offsets the nightmare of scrubbing and scrubbing those cast iron pans.
Now if I can just find two or three variatons on this for different flavors, I think I'll be set.
Here's where I thought I might've screwed things up, cause I forgot all about them for three days. They had a kind of greenish tint to them, but I decided to try cooking them up, anyway.
I took my 12" non stick pan, put in a little bit of olive oil and let it pre-heat while I patted the breasts dry with paper towels, then seared both sides, then put them in a covered Pyrex casserole dish, poured the rest of the marinade over them and finished them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
I let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then cut off a piece of one and let Lily the Sabre-Toothed Retriever look it over. She gobbled it right up, tail wagging all the way, so I figured the three-day marinade and greenish tint hadn't hurt it, so I plated one for myself.
It was the best I'd ever cooked for myself, by far. Moist, tender, and full of flavor.
Not just that, but the pan cleaned up with a few wipes of the sponge. No crud stuck to it at all.
A few thoughts:
* With the flat pan, more area of the chicken breast is caramelized than with the grillpan. I think this improves the flavor.
* The cleanup on the blender is kind of a drag, so I got a small 2 cup graduated container with a screw on top for mixing my marinades in the future.
* I think finishing them off in the oven in the covered casserole dish is what keeps them moist and tender, trapping the moisture within the casserole.
* I'm not really sure what effect the 3 1/2 day marinade had on the taste, I put some more in the fridge to marinate last night, and will cook them today to see (unless i forget).
* I got some liquid smoke to try to see if it adds a little more whang to it.
* I'm not sure what the cast iron pan offers in flavor over the non stick pan, I sure never noticed it. Even if it did, the ease of cleanup with the non stick pan more than offsets the nightmare of scrubbing and scrubbing those cast iron pans.
Now if I can just find two or three variatons on this for different flavors, I think I'll be set.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
That's great! I'm glad you found a solution.
A couple of points:
In no case does the pan add flavor. It allows you to manage heat in a certain way.
You could get the same results with a SS or CI skillet.
After browning the chicken on the stove top, I just pop the pan and chicken into a preheated oven. I don't add marinade back and I don't cover it.
The key to moist chicken is to not over cook it. For average sized chicken breasts, after browning, they need only 13-15 minutes in a 325F oven to be completely cooked. Not hotter. Not longer.
A couple of points:
In no case does the pan add flavor. It allows you to manage heat in a certain way.
You could get the same results with a SS or CI skillet.
After browning the chicken on the stove top, I just pop the pan and chicken into a preheated oven. I don't add marinade back and I don't cover it.
The key to moist chicken is to not over cook it. For average sized chicken breasts, after browning, they need only 13-15 minutes in a 325F oven to be completely cooked. Not hotter. Not longer.
Joshatdot
Senior Cook
I always season any new CI before I use it. The 'pre-seasoned' is IMHO quite a joke. If you look at a new pre-seasoned next to a proper seasoned, the difference is huge. Pre has a dull/matte dark gray look to it, while a proper CI looks jet black & shiney.
Preheat the oven to 350*f, coat heavily every inch of the CI with lard or shortening. Bake it upside down for an hour, turn off the heat, and let it cool down in the oven.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I think you are confused as to the purpose of the pre-seasoning. The jet black shiny look is what you get after seasoning and using (thus adding to the seasoning) over time. If you were to season your pan at home the first time it would not be jet black and shiny. That takes time and repeated use and seasoning.
The pre-seasoning is just the initial seasoning that needs to be done. This way you can start using the pan right away after giving it a quick wash. The process that Lodge uses is basically exactly the same process as what they recommend you do at home, just on a larger scale. The pre-seasoning was never designed to the be end of the seasoning process, just the very first step so those who were scared to use CI because seasoning intimidated them would be able to jump right in and not have to worry.
Joshatdot
Senior Cook
Mine always turn out black & shiney when I 1st season them with the method I described.
