Supermarket Chicken ?

[Hosenbugler]

I'm lucky, in that I have a brilliant farm shop, just a couple of miles from me. The Beef and lamb is from their own livestock and Pork from a well known pig farm around 5 or 6 miles away. Their beef is quite simply the best I have ever had, superb. Just about everything they sell, is top notch, and not that much more than supermarket dross.
They only have a sporadic source of free range chickens, (from their flocks) but thats mainly because they concentrate on egg production. I have had seasonal cockerels from them, and they were superb, flavoursome , unlike most supermarket chicken. Just about the only acceptable supermarket chicken I've come upon, are the corn fed ones offered by Sainsbury, they are not bad, but still not in the same league as a Guinea Fowl.

Basically, I've given up on the big 4 supermarkets , not in any sense cheap and often lacklustre product , although, I have to say, that Lidl's aberdeen Angus dryhung steaks are very tasty and good value, well worth the outlay.

Which begs me to ask, does anyone know how Guinea fowl is classed, White, or red meat? I've googled it, and ome up with various classifications, no consistency. Anyone know?

[Jambo85]

Hosenbugler said:

Which begs me to ask, does anyone know how Guinea fowl is classed, White, or red meat? I've googled it, and ome up with various classifications, no consistency. Anyone know?

Don't know, those definitions have always struck me as somewhat spurious, but it's borderline game I would say. If you like it you'll love partridge and pheasant. There's a good group on facebook called Giving up the Game which connects people with surplus game meat with people who want to try it, often for free. In any event cheaper than supermarket chicken and having enjoyed a better life.

[Jambo85]

21TonyK said:

I've been buying and cooking "catering grade" and supermarket chicken for 20+ years and I'm yet to find any "pumped full of water".

Be genuinely interested if anyone can point to a UK produced whole or portioned bird which is.

I'm with you on this Tony, there is plenty wrong with the UK poultry industry but I think the above is one criticism that cannot be leveled at it.

[shakotan]

Muscle Food's chicken breasts are great value, and don't contain any additional water.

[anonymous-user]

I've had similar problem for years and by asking around found a chicken/turkey farmer locally and he doesn't "really" understand how good his product is as he is a lovely man/farmer and those are his major attributes; I would never buy chicken from supermarket again

[Monkeylegend]

Tom_Spotley_When said:

I've worked in the Food Industry for the last 7 years. I've done a lot of work with 2 Sisters in that time.

Always been a fantasy of mine.

[Turn7]

[prand]

Jambo85 said:

I'm with you on this Tony, there is plenty wrong with the UK poultry industry but I think the above is one criticism that cannot be leveled at it.

OK - when I've had issues with supermarket chicken, I admit I haven't checked where it's sourced from , so maybe its been come from Thailand or Brazil, but the issues I've had are: a) strange tough fibrous texture in breast meat (various supermarkets) b) white meat leaching water when stirfrying (various again) c) roast chicken (from Asda, sorry PH) deposited 2-300ml of foul (fowl!) smelling water in the bottom of the pan when rested after cooking.

If it's unlikely to be UK sourced chicken that is like the above I'll make sure I have a look for it in the supermarket and give it a go.

[Jambo85]

prand said:

Jambo85 said:

I'm with you on this Tony, there is plenty wrong with the UK poultry industry but I think the above is one criticism that cannot be leveled at it.

OK - when I've had issues with supermarket chicken, I admit I haven't checked where it's sourced from , so maybe its been come from Thailand or Brazil, but the issues I've had are: a) strange tough fibrous texture in breast meat (various supermarkets) b) white meat leaching water when stirfrying (various again) c) roast chicken (from Asda, sorry PH) deposited 2-300ml of foul (fowl!) smelling water in the bottom of the pan when rested after cooking.

If it's unlikely to be UK sourced chicken that is like the above I'll make sure I have a look for it in the supermarket and give it a go.

I'm not saying that meat doesn't give off moisture when being cooked - meat contains a lot of moisture after all - I'm just contesting the assertion that it has been put there artificially (in fresh UK produced stuff). When stirfrying get the pan screaming hot and don't overcrowd it (add stuff gradually) and the moisture will evaporate instantaneously rather than ending up boiling everything in its own juices.

RE the roast chicken, I can't understand why it was fowl smelling but that's where gravy comes from. Add a carrot and an onion and this should be great.

There is also the issue of whether or not things have been frozen - meat that has been frozen generally loses more moisture when being cooked. Imported meat is much more likely to have been frozen for obvious reasons.

[theplayingmantis]

mgsontour said:

I've had similar problem for years and by asking around found a chicken/turkey farmer locally and he doesn't "really" understand how good his product is as he is a lovely man/farmer and those are his major attributes; I would never buy chicken from supermarket again

Really, that is surprising, most turkey farmers know how to market the hell out of thier birds and charge a premium way above the cost of production. License to print money.

[theplayingmantis]

occasionally get sutton hoo chicken from local farm shop when he doesnt have any of his own left. 12-15 quid per bird. but imo its bang average, no better than a supermarket corn fed bird in flavour. but then im an idiot for buying it more than once. i suppose im hoping for nirvana, and one that actually tastes per the price point. his own are slightly cheaper, smaller but much tastier.

[Hosenbugler]

Jambo85 said:

Hosenbugler said:

Which begs me to ask, does anyone know how Guinea fowl is classed, White, or red meat? I've googled it, and ome up with various classifications, no consistency. Anyone know?

Don't know, those definitions have always struck me as somewhat spurious, but it's borderline game I would say. If you like it you'll love partridge and pheasant. There's a good group on facebook called Giving up the Game which connects people with surplus game meat with people who want to try it, often for free. In any event cheaper than supermarket chicken and having enjoyed a better life.

Yeah, it seems some lable them as having "a gamey flavour" they do, but refer to them as having "white meat" , again, they do. I like to maintain a balanced diet , mains of fish , white meat and of course red meat. I was hoping to discover the classification of the Guinea Fowl, to see if I could buy them, instead of chicken, as a white meat substitute. They certainly have something most chickens do not, flavour.
As for Partridge and Pheasant you are bang on, I love Partridge,my favourite game bird. I have to be in a particular frame of mind for Pheasant, owing to its strength of flavour , but love it when I am. Not tried Grouse, but from what I hear, I get the impression it would be too strong for me.

[21TonyK]

Jambo85 said:

prand said:

Jambo85 said:

I'm with you on this Tony, there is plenty wrong with the UK poultry industry but I think the above is one criticism that cannot be leveled at it.

OK - when I've had issues with supermarket chicken, I admit I haven't checked where it's sourced from , so maybe its been come from Thailand or Brazil, but the issues I've had are: a) strange tough fibrous texture in breast meat (various supermarkets) b) white meat leaching water when stirfrying (various again) c) roast chicken (from Asda, sorry PH) deposited 2-300ml of foul (fowl!) smelling water in the bottom of the pan when rested after cooking.

If it's unlikely to be UK sourced chicken that is like the above I'll make sure I have a look for it in the supermarket and give it a go.

I'm not saying that meat doesn't give off moisture when being cooked - meat contains a lot of moisture after all - I'm just contesting the assertion that it has been put there artificially (in fresh UK produced stuff). When stirfrying get the pan screaming hot and don't overcrowd it (add stuff gradually) and the moisture will evaporate instantaneously rather than ending up boiling everything in its own juices.

RE the roast chicken, I can't understand why it was fowl smelling but that's where gravy comes from. Add a carrot and an onion and this should be great.

There is also the issue of whether or not things have been frozen - meat that has been frozen generally loses more moisture when being cooked. Imported meat is much more likely to have been frozen for obvious reasons.

Very much this ^^^

As I said on an older thread...

21TonyK said:

Not aiming this at anyone but just pointing out that chicken doesn't take as long to cook as many think. Overcooking will result in tough, dry, stringy meat irrespective of how "good" the chicken is to begin with.

If you are unsure get yourself a cheap probe and cook to 75 degrees.

And...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...

[Some Guy]

I have been using Donald Russell for the past 18 months. Not cheap but definitely a noticeable quality increase over other suppliers.
https://www.donaldrussell.com/

[Jambo85]

Did some research in the frozen section of Asda today so you don't have to.

This frozen chicken from Poland has water added, and it is clearly stated on the pack:



Who knew a chicken breast would only be 87% chicken! Presumably there is a legal requirement to state this on the pack. This somewhat re-assures me that my assumptions about water plumping not being done to non-frozen UK chicken are hopefully correct.

[Lemming Train]

Presumably dextrose and salt would only make up a tiny tiny portion of the contents so does that mean that nearly 13% of the bag contents is deliberately injected water?

[The Doyle]

A friend of mine is a beef farmer & he told me the only supermarket he’d buy meat from is Morrisons, as ,uniquely, they own their own slaughterhouses so control the quality of their meat supply from field to shelf.

[JJ55]

I don’t bother much with supermarket own brand chicken any more as the quality is just so hit & miss. Chewy, gristly & full of water half the time. Our local butcher the ginger pig mentioned previously on this thread are good but expensive so we use for a treat here & there.

However I do like the gressingham brand chicken & duck products at the supermarket, they seem consistently good & actually have flavour. I’m sure someone with more knowledge of meat will be along now to tell me they are actually dodgy in some way

[55palfers]

Interesting thread

I've never read the ingredients on raw chicken packs before, I foolishly just expected it to say "Chicken"

So they inject it with salty water, then add sugar to mask the salt. Dirty, dishonest gits.

Around 13% is water then. I will pay more attention in future. Free range organic now. Cost of actual meat won't be that much more!

[The Doyle]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

For info: https://www.morrisons-farming.com/how-we-work/wood...

No mention of chickens though.