down home wrote:
All the chicken breasts we buy or we can find are tough and even hard after cooking, sometimes.
Wife is fixing some now sliced and in bbq sauce.
Don't have great hopes for it.
How do you fix Chicken or Franken Bird breasts without a vinegary sauce, or citrus? Citrus and pineapple just isn't right either especially with any hints of burning and the chicken is still tought and the flavor is just on the surface.
First of all you ARE over-cooking them. Chicken breasts can easily be done to be tender and very juicy. And in more ways than one.
High heat for too long is the culprit here. For grilling use high heat just long enough to put a good sear on the skin and start the cooking process. This will help hold the juices in. then LOWER the heat and move the Chicken to indirect heat...ie not directly over the flame. (Note this cannot be done with a Weber Q)then cook just until the juices run clear.
The second way and my favorite technique is to start them on the stove top. Get the pan good and hot put in about a TBsp of oil then SEAR the chicken on all sides. Once seared transfer the pan to a 400 or 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes or a little more.
once done use the pan juices to make a sauce by de-glazing the pan with brandy or Sake or something similar, add a sprig of Thyme and a few TBSP of butter and reduce to a wonderful sauce.
And lastly if you want absolutely THE juiciest and best Chicken breasts...BRINE THEM! put them in a solution of salt a bit of sugar and some herbs for anywhere from 1/2 an hour to 3 hours. then remove dry them in the fridge to dry the skin (this will ensure a crispy skin) and cook as above. The difference will open your eyes wide.