Enhanced chicken?
I do a roast chicken at least once a week. It's a foolproof meal that we never get tired of; I just vary the side dishes and everyone's happy. At Sam's last week they had whole roasting chickens (Pilgrim's Pride) that could be purchased in bulk at reduced prices. I bought a pack of four, thinking I could freeze them and not have to buy another chicken for a month! It wasn't until I got home that I noticed on the packaging: "Enhanced with up to 12% chicken broth." What does this mean? I've never seen this notation before. Does this enhancement affect the taste of the bird? Will it be somewhat saltier than normal and should I hold back on my seasoning? Or are most roasters "enhanced" in this manner and I just never knew it?
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12 Comments:
It means some form of glutamates - probably MSG, but maybe autolyzed yeast extract or hydrolyzed vegetable protein. The FDA allows broth to be listed as an ingredient without mentioning the broth's actual ingredients as long as they are "derived" from natural sources.
Sadly, the chickens are bred and raised in such a way that without the extra help, they would be dry and bland.
zapatista at 2:41PM on 04/01/08
Functionally, it means they've been brined (think of a butterball turkey). So don't brine them again, if you are otherwise in the habit of doing so.
You probably won't notice anything special in the flavor, and can add your seasonings as you normally do. You might cut back the salt a little. And yes, most roasters from the supermarket are enhanced this way, and when they aren't, they usually go out of their way to market their "all-naturalness," etc.
renzata at 3:01PM on 04/01/08
renzata. Back in my all-natural days I bought several of the chickens to which you refer. All-natural, chemical-free, additive-free and apparently taste-free as well. No matter what brand of said chickens I purchased, one was more tasteless than the next.
Oh well, better living through chemistry, I guess.
RichardCrystal at 3:28PM on 04/01/08
Not all meat is "enhanced" and it must be labeled if it is. It is common with pork. Alton Brown has done an episode or two about it. Who knows what is actually in the liquid they use to enhance -- some form of brine but probably with "enhancements". I don't think the meat is actually brined but rather injected with the solution. It will plump up the bird so it will weigh more (i.e. cost more). Whether that translates to moister meat, you can tell us after you cook one! Go easy on the salt ... it probably has loads already.
I prefer to do my own enhancing, that is, I always brine my poultry and pork. But I also want to know what is in it, so I actively avoid enhanced meat products.
kjgibson at 4:50PM on 04/01/08
Without knowing exactly what was in the chix "broth" I'd assume it's got salt and possibly some chemicals. If they listed the ingredients, review them and if there's no polypseudosomethingorother, it's probably not bad. "Infusing" the chix with broth is meant to fortify the chix flavor.
And I'm dying to know how they taste!
chiff0nade at 6:50PM on 04/01/08
I'd definitely adjust your seasoning. Somewhere on the package it should identify the enhancing ingredients, which are almost guaranteed to contain significant levels of sodium.
Avoid this issue by seeking out poultry that is labeled "natural" and "minimally processed" and identifies the percentage of "retained water" -- you want retained water, not solution, etc., as this is simply the water absorbed during the chilling process (they use big vats of cold water to bring down the birds' body temp after processing). Labels that state all three of these things is free of additives. Look for the lowest percentage of retained water possible to get the best value for your money (why pay for water). In my area, 4% is typical of name-brand chickens, while the cheaper store-brand birds often contain 6% or even 8% retained water.
Avoid enhanced, self-basting, or products with "solution" on the label, all of which are marinated in or injected with solutions of various ingredients besides water (natural or artificial flavorings, sodium, etc.). Typically, they contain 10% or 12% added liquid. Why pay meat dollars for this liquid when you can make your own brine for pennies?
I've recently been interested in air-chilled poultry. It is cooled with blasts of cold air instead of vats of water, and therefore contains no retained water. However, it's hard to find and costs substantially more per pound.
LoCo at 7:29PM on 04/01/08
Thanks, everyone. The back of the packaging says the solution ingredients are chicken broth, salt and carrageenan, whatever that is. Interestingly enough, it also claims to be "minimally processed." I'll definitely be more careful in the future, as I like to control the amount of flavor "enhancements" myself, thank you very much.
I am roasting one as we speak; I didn't brine it (I usually don't) and I salted it overall a little less than normal, so I'll let everyone know how it turns out!
Jeana at 9:02PM on 04/01/08
Sounds like a relatively harmless brine, to me. Carrageenan is a plant gum (thickener) made from seaweed. You'll find it in all kinds of products, like ice cream, toothpaste, shampoo, etc... it's especially common in processed foods of the reduced fat variety. You paid for 12% liquid, but at least it's probably not going to have a huge effect on the overall flavor.
LoCo at 10:22PM on 04/01/08
@Jenna - the verdict??
chiff0nade at 7:42AM on 04/02/08
Well, the chicken turned out last night with no ill effects. It was pretty much the same as my usual roast chicken and, in fact, I probably could have seasoned it a bit more, so my unscientific opinion would be that the added broth solution does little, if anything, to the flavor. It was, I think, a little moister than my usual, which could be due to the enhancements OR my ever-improving culinary skills ;)
Since I have three more in my freezer it's comforting to have completed a test run! By the way, these were purchased at about $3.50 per 4-lb bird so you can understand my desire that these taste as good as they are a value.
Jeana at 11:03AM on 04/02/08
@renzata: brined or injected?
@kjgibson: yep, I think so too.
It's a small world, or else Serious Eats readers have ESP. I was just mildly complaining (OK, bitching) today about trying to find a decent chicken that did not have this injection process in its life & death process. Hard to find, unless you buy frozen around these parts.
Time to raise chickens, both for fresh and cheap eggs and control over what goes into them before they go into your stomach!
TikiPundit at 9:50PM on 04/02/08
I've been on a chicken roasting binge the past few months, (a chicken/week), and I've tried everything from free-range organic to what must have been a practical jokers rubber version!
The results were about what you would expect. I did think Pilgrims Pride was the best of the "adulterated" birds though.
srhcb at 8:41PM on 04/04/08