Poultry pg. 144 - 148

Question 1

Define poultry

Answer 1

> poultry - domesticated birds that are bred for food

>examples: chicken, turkey, duck, guinea, Cornish game, hen, and pigeon

Question 2

Describe the nutritional value of poultry

Answer 2

> high in protein
lower in fat than red meat (poultry fat found primarily in the skin)
good source of minerals phosphorus, iron, and B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin

Question 3

Describe determining quality of poultry

Answer 3

> United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires inspection of all poultry sold in US
inspection process insures wholesomeness/health of animal as well as insuring that it is processed and packed in sanitary conditions
may be tagged with inspection seal or seal will be placed on label (this seal indicates that bird is fit for consumption)
as with meat, poultry is graded to give consumer indication of quality
grading of poultry is not mandatory, but is done by accepted standard
poultry is graded A, B, or C and placed in shield shaped stamp
grade A is only grade commonly sold in retail market, is plump, does not have broken bones or contain feathers, and has good fat layer
other grades are commonly used in processing

Question 4

Give characteristics of high quality raw poultry

Answer 4

> plump and moist
frozen poultry flesh should no contain ice crystals
skin color vary from creamy white to yellow
turkey skin always cream colored
cut bones of poultry be pink to red, not gray (gray indicates lack of freshness)
not a lot of pinfeathers (indicates lack of care in handling)
not spoiled smell
little moisture in bag
no punctured packages with dripping juices because of cross-contamination
bird should be cooked or frozen no later than 2 days after sell-by-date

Question 5

Describe cuts/ types of chicken

Answer 5

> chicken can be purchased whole or cut in pieces
common pieces of chicken available for retail purchase include breasts, drumsticks, thighs, wings/drummettes, and whole bird intact or cut up
chick is classified by its size and age using name of preferred cooking method

Question 6

Describe broiler-fryer chicken

Answer 6

> younger bird usually weighing about 3lb.

>is good for broiling and frying

Question 7

Describe roaster chicken or roasting hen

Answer 7

> older bird than broiler-fryer
larger, usually weighting between 4 to 6 lb.
still tender enough to cook by dry heat

Question 8

Describe stewing chicken

Answer 8

> even older, larger bird than roaster chicken or roasting hen
less tender and require moist heat cooking method
usually between 4 to 8 lb.

Question 9

Describe Rock Cornish game hens

Answer 9

> small hybrid chickens weighing pound or so

Question 10

Describe free range, kosher, and organic

Answer 10

> terms that refer to chickens that have been raised without hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, and pesticides
healthier to eat, but because of special care involved in raising them, they are more expensive and not as widely available

Question 11

Describe how to purchase chicken

Answer 11

> purchase quarter pound of boneless chicken per person
boneless chicken tends to be more expensive due to labor involved in preparing it for sale
purchase three quarters of pound of bone-in chicken per person
plan 1 lb. per person when purchasing bone-in turkey

Question 12

Describe storing and handling poultry

Answer 12

> is prone to salmonella contamination
keep poultry below 40 degrees until ready to be cooked to prevent bacteria growth
sanitize hands, all surfaces, and equipment before handling raw poultry and again immediately after handling
raw poultry can be stored in fridge for 2 days in its original packaging
cooked poultry should also be stored in fridge for no longer than 2 days
raw poultry pieces can be frozen for up to 9 mo.
raw, whole poultry can be safely frozen for up to 1 yr.
cooked poultry can be safely stored in freezer for up to 1 mo.

Question 13

Describe thawing poultry

Answer 13

> safest way to thaw poultry is in fridge
poultry should be placed in pan in bottom of fridge
pan will catch any leaking juices
very important that these juices not get into any other foods in order to prevent cross-contamination
depending upon size of bird or number of pieces, thawing time will vary
allow enough time to thaw poultry enough
whole birds take longer to thaw than pieces
cut up pieces of chicken or turkey will take as few as 3 hr. and as many as 9 hr. to thaw depending on size of pieces
whole chicken will take up to 24 hr. to thaw
thawing time for whole turkey varies based on size of bird
small bird 12lb. or less will take approximately 2 days to thaw, but larger bird will take much longer
20lb. to 24lb. bird will take up to 5 days to thaw

Question 14

Describe the cold-water method

Answer 14

> to thaw poultry quickly, use cold-water method
put poultry in waterproof packaging and place in sink or tub of cold water
plan 30min. of thawing time per pound of meat
change water often to ensure that it stays cold; as water approaches room temperature, conditions become favorable for salmonella bacteria to multiply
poultry can also be quickly thawed in microwave, cook it immediately so that it does not sit out unsafe temperature
once raw poultry is thawed it should be cleaned it is cooked
rinse poultry in pieces in cold water
for whole bird, remove giblet bag and rinse bird, including inside of cavity

Question 15

Describe properly seasoning poultry

Answer 15

> when adding dry herbs and spices to outside of bird, use low temperature for cooking (herbs will burn and taste bitter if cooked too high temperature)
if not stuffing whole bird, place some aromatic vegetables or seasonings inside cavity to add flavor
for most part, poultry is inherently tender (marinating is used to add flavor not tenderize)
don’t marinate poultry for more than couple of hours, or texture will deteriorate and become mushy

Question 16

Describe and list dry heat methods for cooking poultry

Answer 16

>dry heat should be used with younger, more tender birds
>broiling/grilling
>roasting
>pan-frying
>deep-frying
>oven frying or baking

Question 17

Describe broiling/grilling poultry

Answer 17

> cut bird into pieces (whether in half, quarters, or eighths)
don’t attempt to broil whole uncut chicken
broiling takes place very close to heat source, and whole bird will not cook evenly
bone-in chicken pieces may be parbroiled before they are broiled or grilled (will help cook quickly and evenly)
transfer pieces to grill or broiler immediately after parboiling so that they don’t sit out at unsafe temperature
spray non-stick cooking spray and then preheat grill or broiler
meat must be turned once during cooking

Question 18

Describe roasting poultry

Answer 18

> prepare whole bird by rubbing it first with butter, then salt and pepper
if desired, fresh or dried herbs can be placed under skin
tuck wing points behind bird’s back
tie drumsticks together so that bird maintains its shape and moisture and so that it cooks more evenly
cook breast side up in roasting pan
baste it with cooking juices about every 15 min. throughout cooking time to prevent it from drying out and give it more flavor

Question 19

Describe pan-frying poultry

Answer 19

> cut bird into pieces
coat pieces in egg and seasoned flour or crumbs
place 1/2” - 3/4” oil in frying pan and heat oil to 325 degrees
temperature vary based on size of pieces of poultry
thicker they are, lower temperature because they will need to cook longer and brown more slowly
turn meat once, halfway through cooking
outside should be golden brown and crisp when finished
drain pieces on paper towels

Question 20

Describe deep-frying poultry

Answer 20

> can be deep-fried whole or cut in pieces
pieces can be breaded before frying if desired
is best to use appliance that is specifically designed for deep-frying especially if whole uncut bird is to be cooked
consult “Use and Care Booklet” of deep frying appliance for instructions

Question 21

Describe oven frying or baking poultry

Answer 21

> prepare chicken as for frying, but bake it in oven

>for crisp, browned crust, brush bird with butter before placing in oven

Question 22

Describe and list moist heat methods for poultry

Answer 22

> moist heat should be used for older tougher birds

>stewing

Question 23

Describe stewing poultry

Answer 23

> use this method with whole birds or cut pieces
cover poultry with liquid and simmer in large covered pot
adding seasoning to liquid at beginning of cooking time will enhance flavor

Question 24

Describe checking for doneness for cooked poultry

Answer 24

> due to possible presence of salmonella bacteria, it is critical that poultry be cooked to correct temperature
to test whole bird for doneness, insert thermometer into thickest part of thigh
don’t allow thermometer to touch bone or fat or it will give inaccurate reading
internal temperature of whole birds must be 180 degrees
temperature of bone-in pieces as well as boneless pieces must be 170 degrees
for poultry pieces, stick thermometer into thickest part of flesh
if you don’t have thermometer, use knife to slit thickest part
flesh should no longer be pink and juices should run clear

Question 25

Describe stuffing a bird

Answer 25

> use dry or stale bread or simply purchase prepared, dried stuffing
add liquid and additional ingredients as directed in recipe
stuff bird just before cooking in order to avoid problems with salmonella
remove stuffing immediately after cooking to avoid problems with salmonella
don’t overstuff bird in order to allow for expansion of stuffing during cooking
if stuffing is too compact, it may not reach safe temperature and will not cook thoroughly
plan to use no more than 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of bird
center of stuffing must reach 165 degrees for food safety
overall, it is safer to cook stuffing in casserole dish rather than inside bird’s cavity

Question 26

Describe process of carving a chicken or turkey

Answer 26

> if you cooked bird at home, take it out of oven and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 min. in order for juices to redistribute and meat to become firm (rotisserie birds from deli have rested adequately, omit this step)
place bird on cutting board, pull back on leg and slide knife in to remove leg and thigh together
cut through ball joint of thigh
thigh meat of chicken is usually left intact. for larger birds, thigh meat can be sliced while holding onto leg bone
to separate thigh from drumstick, locate fat line between the two. slide knife in and to joint; cut them apart
remove breast from carcass by making horizontal incision above wing and then slice down breastbone thus removing entire portion
remove breast of large birds in this manner then slicing on angle will produce larger slices
breast meat of larger birds can also be sliced while still attached to carcass. make horizontal incision just above wing, and then cut vertical slices from breast meat
to remove wing, pull back on wing and slide knife in and cut through joint
clean equipment and soiled surfaces with hot soapy water or food-safe sanitizer