Friday, May 16, 2008

Keeping Grilled Food Juicy

There is nothing worse than eating a dry piece of meat from the grill. One trick I use is marinading my chicken in plain yogurt before I grill. Here are a few more tips from Real Simple.
The best foods for grilling are fatty ones because they stay juicy over high heat. Fish and chicken, because they are so lean, tend to dry out on the grill.
Avoid cottony fish by cooking it with fruit or lightly brushing it with olive oil.
To keep chicken from drying into jerky, leave the skin on while it cooks. (Perching it on a can of beer helps, too.) The skin is a protective jacket, and almost none of its fat is absorbed by the meat underneath. Another way to keep the juices in fish and chicken is to use only tongs or a spatula for turning. Don't stab them with a fork. Save that for rescuing those hot dogs that have fallen into the fire.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jessie,

Most people inevitably do dry out the chicken breast when it is cooked without skin. Even if the internal temperature only gets to 160 degrees, chicken breast seems to get a bit rubbery.

However, getting bone-in breast that still has the skin is the ticket.

You are right - grilling or baking chicken with the skin on it does not increase the actual fat content of the meat itself. The skin works great to keep the meat moist while cooking, and is also a great place to rub spices and flavorings.