Published June 1, 2004. From ATK Books.
We gathered six brands of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, broiled them without seasoning, and had 20 tasters sample the chickens side by side.
In a society obsessed with weight, it is not surprising that boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a standard in many home kitchens. No fat, no fuss, and, unfortunately, no flavor. We've come up with countless recipes to add zip to these otherwise boring birds, but we never stopped to look at the chicken itself. Is there a difference in flavor among the popular brands? Do terms like "organic," "free range," "natural," or "kosher" have any real bearing on the quality of the meat?
To find out, we gathered six brands of boneless skinless chicken breasts, broiled them without seasoning, and had 20 tasters sample the chickens side-by-side. Among the contenders were one kosher bird, two "natural," and one "free range." The remaining two were just plain "chicken."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines "natural" as "a product containing no artificial ingredients or added color and [that] is only minimally processed," with a "process" being something that "does not fundamentally alter the raw product." In the case of chicken, it means that the bird was given no antibiotics or hormones and was fed a vegetarian diet. "Free range" means exactly what it says: the birds are not confined to small cages but are allowed to roam freely. Some people find that this excess motion yields tougher meat, but our tasters did not find this to be the case.
The only kosher bird in this tasting won points for its superior flavor, acquired by means of none other than salt. Koshering involves coating the chicken with salt to draw out any impurities; this process, similar to brining, results in moist, salty meat (for this reason we do not recommend brining kosher birds). Last-place (and lowest priced) finishers were downgraded for poor texture and unnatural flavor. Tasters were also put off by the brash yellow color of the birds.
In the end, it seems that more money can buy you a better bird and, many would argue, a better-for-you bird (kosher birds are also all-natural and contain no hormones or antibiotics). As for lower-priced supermarket staples and store brands, a cheaper price can indicate a lower-quality product.
