Meat and Poultry

Appears in

The New Food Processor Bible

By Norene Gilletz

Published 2011

About

Chop, purée or slice meats and poultry in moments in your processor (e.g., lean boneless beef, veal, chicken or turkey breasts). An added benefit is that you can also control the fat and cholesterol content. Refer to the Smart Chart for basic techniques.
Grind your own meat or poultry using the Steel Blade. For best results, meat should be very cold. Use quick on/off pulses, checking texture often to avoid overprocessing.
Depending on your food processor’s capacity, you may have to combine ground meat or poultry with remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Too large a quantity won’t mix properly in smaller food processors. Meat at the bottom of the bowl will become overprocessed and meat at the top won’t be mixed at all. Check guidelines in your user’s manual for maximum quantities.
SWITCH-A-GROUND: You can use lean ground turkey, chicken or veal in any recipe calling for ground beef (e.g., burgers, meatballs). Meat or poultry that you grind yourself will contain fewer calories and less fat and cholesterol than commercially ground meats. The choice is yours!
Add grated vegetables such as zucchini, onions, carrots or mashed beans to replace a portion of the ground meat in recipes. Instead of grating them, you can also grind them on the Steel Blade. (What a “grate” way to include more veggies in your meals, especially when dealing with fussy eaters!)
Should you cook poultry with or without the skin? If roasting poultry without a sauce, leave the skin on during cooking to keep it moist; remove skin after cooking. If cooking poultry in a sauce, you can remove the skin either before or after cooking. I usually prefer to cook chicken with the skin on to keep it moist and flavorful, then I remove the skin after cooking to save on calories and fat.
SKINNY SECRETS: When cooking chicken in a sauce, remove the skin before cooking if you plan to serve it immediately. Otherwise the fat from the skin melts and drains into the sauce. However, if you plan to serve the chicken the next day, you can cook it with the skin on, then refrigerate it overnight. Discard congealed fat before reheating. Remove the skin before eating.
If you don’t have a scale, remember that 2 cups meat cubes or 3 single, boneless, skinless chicken breasts weigh about 1 lb (500 g).
BONE YOUR OWN: Pull the skin off the chicken breast; remove the breastbone and smaller bones with your fingers and a sharp knife. Pull out the white tendons from the breast meat. No need to be perfect—you will improve with practice!
Slice your own uncooked boneless meat or poultry. Be sure to chill it first. You will have perfect, paper-thin slices that are perfect for stir-fries!
Cut pieces of boneless raw meat or poultry to fit feed tube. Wrap in plastic and freeze briefly, until very cold. It is ready to slice when it is hard to the touch but can be pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife.
Slice across the grain for maximum tenderness. To check which way the grain (muscle fiber) runs, slice off a thin piece from raw or cooked meat. Muscle fibers in chicken and turkey breasts run lengthwise, so cut across the width.
Wash the bowl, blades and cover immediately after processing meat or poultry. Either wash by hand with hot, soapy water and a brush, use technique for “Self-Cleaning Processor” or place on top rack of dishwasher. Blades and discs are very sharp, so handle with care!
Use ground meat within 24 to 48 hours of purchase. Stewing meat, steaks, chicken and chops should be used within 2 days, and roasts within 3 days. Store in the coldest part of your refrigerator at 40°F or lower.
You can freeze raw ground meat for 2 to 3 months. Roasts and steaks can be frozen for 8 to 12 months. Whole chicken and turkey can be frozen for 8 to 10 months, or 5 to 6 months if cut up. Freeze cooked meat and poultry dishes no longer than 2 months for maximum quality.
Never stuff poultry or roasts in advance. Prepare stuffing and refrigerate; stuff just before cooking. Allow ½ cup stuffing for each pound of poultry. Stuff loosely, as stuffing expands during cooking. Stuffing must be cooked to 165°F; check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
Stuffing may be baked separately in a covered casserole to prevent it from absorbing the fatty drippings. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.
Remove stuffing from poultry or roast before refrigerating or freezing leftovers.
For maximum flavor, season poultry with desired marinade or spices, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
Brush up on food safety! Beware of cross-contamination from raw meat, poultry or the basting brush used during cooking. Boil marinade for 5 minutes; then you can use it as a sauce on cooked food. (Be sure to use a clean basting brush or spoon.)
Clean all work surfaces, cutting boards, blades and processor bowl thoroughly; wash your hands with soap and hot water to help prevent cross-contamination.
Do not leave raw or cooked meats and poultry at room temperature for more than 1 to 2 hours.
Use your processor to slice, chop or shred foods quickly into uniform pieces; then stir-fry. Dinner will be ready in minutes! Use the recipe for Teriyaki Turkey or Chicken Stir-Fry as a guideline on how to slice meat and vegetables for stir-fries using wide-mouth feed tube techniques.
Leftover cooked meat or poultry is a blessing in disguise! Use it in fajitas, sandwiches, salads, stir-fries, pasta, stuffed bell peppers, crêpes, soufflés or omelets.