Poultry revolution: new cuts, new ways to cook - recipes

Sunset, Sept, 1990

The modern supermarket bird has come a long way since the 1940s, when largescale commercial production of chickens and turkeys began in this country. Before World War II, chicken was a Sunday dinner treat, turkey graced the table only

on holidays, and most poultry in the

markets was sold whole. and turkeys make it to the counters whole; the rest are cut into selected parts or further processed into delicatessen items. The trend in fresh poultry

now is toward skinned and boned

pieces. This has created a new category

of packaged meat cuts. It's not surprising, then, that Americans are eating more chicken and turkey-about 85 pounds per capita last year compared to 34 pounds in 1960. Aside from the convenience of ready-to-use cuts, poultry's healthful image has certainly boosted sales in recent years. With less than 130 calories and 2 grams of fat in a 4-ounce serving, the light meats of chicken and turkey-without skin-are considerably lower in calories and fat than most red meats. Although poultry seems to have a lot of fat, there's a difference between it and other meats. Alalmost all in the skin or just underneath, where it's easily removed; very little is marbled through the meat. Economy is another reason for poultry's popularity. Production today is highly automated, with a few large firms involved in all phases, from breeding and hatching to packaging retail products. As a result, poultry prices have dropped relative to other meats. The birds, the result of several decades of selective breeding, are raised in climate controlled houses on scientifically formulated feed. Modern chickens reach maturity in less than 7 weeks, turkeys in 14 to 22 weeks. They are more docile, larger and younger at harvest, more tender, and they have proportionately more breast meat than birds of the past. The system is so efficient that it now takes less than 2 pounds of feed to produce a pound of chicken, about 2.6 pounds of feed to produce a pound of turkey (cattle and sheep, on the other hand, require about 8 pounds of feed to produce the same weight). The yield of cooked meat for turkey-55 to 60 percent of the live weight-tops the yield of all other meats. Poultry's nearly boundless culinary possibilities have long appealed to good cooks. And now the new boned and skinned cuts-made to order for quick, low-fat meals-are even better suited to the needs of today's busy cooks. How to cook the new cuts The new poultry cuts call for updated techniques to make the most of their quick-cooking convenience and to maximize the value of their low fat content. Here we present flexible and easy ways to cook boned and skinned cuts of chicken and turkey. Each recipe is based on I pound of meat from any of the boneless or boned and skinned cuts shown and described at left. You'll also find two recipes featuring ground poultry. All recipes use minimal amounts of added fat. Nutritional data with each recipe are based on chicken breast. Figures here compare the nutritional composition of 1/4 pound of light and dark chicken and turkey meats. Use them to, calculate the nutritional content of the poultry you cook. Chicket breast meat.- 125 cal.;26 g protein; 1.4 g fat,- 66 mg chol. Chicken thigh meat- 135 cal.; 22 g protein; 4.4 g fat, 94 mg chol. Turkey, light meat.- 129 cal.; 27 g protein, 1. 8 g fat, 70 mg chol. Turkey, dark meat.- 139 cal.; 23 g protein; 4.7 g fat,- 85 mg chol.

PAN-FRYING

Poulty sliced or pounded to 1/4-inch thickness cooks in 2 to 3 minutes. Sauteed Chicken or Turkey with Sage

  1 pound boned, skinned chicken or
       turkey
  2 teaspoons minced fresh or dry
      sage leaves
12  fresh whole sage leaves (optional)
    About 2 teaspoons olive oil or
       salad oil
    Pepper and salt
  2 limes or lemons, halved

Prepare poultry of your choice (directions follow). Sprinkle prepared poultry equally with minced sage on a cut side of each piece, pressing into meat. If using fresh sage, turn pieces over and press whole leaves onto surfaces. Place a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When bot, add 2 teaspoons oil and tilt pan to coat bottom. Fill pan with meat (whole leaf side or dry sage side down) without crowding. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn pieces and cook until no longer pink in center (cut to test), 30 to 60 seconds longer. Repeat until all pieces are cooked, adding more oil if needed to prevent sticking. Keep warm on a platter as cooked. Grind pepper over meat. Add salt and lime to taste. Makes 4 servings.

To prepare poultry, rinse, pat dry, and

place all pieces to be pounded between

sheets of plastic wrap. Pound chicken

breast halves or thighs until 1/4 inch thick.

Use thinly sliced turkey breast as is, or

pound thicker slices until inch thick.

Split turkey tenderloins lengthwise, cutting

away tendon in center, then pound

until 1/4 inch thick. Pound turkey thigh to

1/4 inch, letting it separate at natural seam

lines; divide into serving-size pieces. MICROWAVE Use these directions any time you want cooked boneless poultry for salads, sandwiches, or other dishes. Here we offer one way to present the cooked meat in a cool main dish. Microwave Poultry Platter with Bulgur