I've been interested in the tenderizing of chicken and done some research into the subject. Almost every recipe for fried chicken requires soaking in buttermilk from 30 minutes up to 24 hours. Why???
Well, there are proteins in dairy products that break down the cell walls of the chicken. That is what makes it more tender. Each of the milk products give a slightly different taste to the chicken. You could use milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt for the same effect.
What if you want a tasty tender piece of chicken, or to tenderize an entire chicken and don't want to spend the money on that much buttermilk???
A cold, salted water bath for 20 minutes will do the same thing. This is commonly known as a "brine." You've probably done it to your turkey's each Thanksgiving without having any idea why. Tender and juicy -- that's the reason.
Wow, my mom and I were just talking about this very thing! So, thanks for giving us the reasoning behind why it works!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your new blog and am going to try so many of your recipes!