Is it safe to eat chicken with blood coming out of it?
We have been trained to treat pink poultry badly.Some cooks overcook chicken to make it look better.Is it safe to eat some pink poultry?Would you believe me?
It is true.Greg Blonder, a physicist and co-author of Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, explained why some pinkness will never fade.He offered some tips to avoid pink poultry before you bring it home from the store, if no amount of checking the chicken's temperature will soothe your squeamishness.
Blonder says that the majority of chickens sold in stores are between six and eight weeks old.Young chickens have more porous bones than older ones.The purple marrow, which is colored due to the presence of myoglobin, leaks into the meat when it is cooked.
Is pink flesh close to the surface?The pink meat reaction can be mitigated by certain cooking techniques.A pink smoke ring is a sign of good barbecue.Again, myoglobin.You don't need smoke to achieve that ring.
It is not.The pink, watery liquid you are seeing is water.The pink "juices" that you see pooling around the packaged bird are caused by the old myoglobin mixing with the moist chicken that is waiting for you to buy it.
The substance gushes when you cut into a cooking chicken to see if the juices run clear.That is a long-held measure of doneness that cannot be trusted.A good quality Thermometer is the only way to know if your bird is cooked through.Here is the Epi favorite.If you want to check the temperature, stick the probe into the meatiest part of the bird.A finished temperature of 160oF to 165oF is what you are looking for.Accounting for carry-over cooking and the size of whatever it is you are cooking, that could mean pulling the chicken off the heat.
Before cooking, debone the meat.Without a myoglobin-y bone around to stain it, your chicken breast will be as pristinely white as possible.
The pH needs to be changed.A lot of factors are at play, and even the way an animal is slaughtered can change the pH level.It has acidity in its meat.The higher the pH, the better.The myoglobin present needs a higher temperature to clear.Unless you like dry chicken, pink is your new obsession.If you are not a fan of Steven Tyler, you can use a lot of the other stuff.The risk of that anxiety-inducing rosy hue will be reduced by introducing the meat to a high-acid environment.