Baking Methods
Dry Heat Method. Dry heat cooking is a technique of cooking the meat without using any moisture. As this involves use of high heat - 300 degrees F or higher, the meat can be cooked in a relatively short period of time. One danger of using this method is that the chicken will not be cooked evenly. A way to get around this is to pound the chicken until you have achieved an even thickness. This way, all parts will cook evenly.
Moist Heat Method. This method uses moisture to help with the cooking. Moisture can in the form of water, wine, stock, or other liquid. Oven temperature is lower - 140 degrees F to 212 degrees F - and so cooking time is longer.
Dry Oven Poaching. This involves use of buttered parchment. The breasts are wrapped with the parchment, then baked at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 25 minutes. The parchment seals moisture in, and is thus regarded by many as the best way to bake this part, particularly if you are baking multiple breasts at once. There's little margin for error, and the meat cooks evenly without re-arranging them.
How Long to Bake chicken breast
There's no one answer to this question. Generally, baking time may range from 20 to 45 minutes, Cooking depends on a number of factors including:
Oven temperature
Size and weight of the piece
Whether breast has bone and skin or without
Other ingredients included in the recipe
How to Determine if the meat is Already Cooked
The best way to determine if the meat is cooked thoroughly is to use a food thermometer. Put the thermometer into the fattest part of the meat, and wait for 2 to 5 seconds. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit, although some experts say that 170 degrees F is also fine.
Food thermometers are available in the kitchenware section of most retail store. An analogue thermometer is generally cheaper, but digital thermometers allow for more accurate and easier reading of temperatures.
No matter what method you use, following suggested cooking time and cooking temperature in the recipe carefully is important. Always have a meat thermometer ready, and you'll have a perfectly cooked, juicy baked chicken breasts.
No comments:
Post a Comment