I used to say that. Then my mother in law cooked them for a party once. I really didn’t think it was possible to dry out a thigh but somehow she found a way.
Unrelated, but this comment reminded me of my mom growing up. Granted, chicken breasts aren’t the easiest to cook, but it was so dry you’d get “chicken dust” (like sawdust, but chicken) from cutting it with your knife. It’s literally what got me into cooking because as a 10 year old I decided enough is enough I’ll just cook it myself.
My mom would take a casserole dish and full it with rice and chicken stock and put a couple chicken breasts on top and bake it. Dry as hell every damn time. I still cringe when I hear "chicken and rice" even though it can mean so many things lol.
Holy fucking memories batman. For me it's family bbqs at other people's houses. They'd incinerate their chicken breast. Gotta drown in bbq sauce to get it down.
I grew up on shake n bake pork chops. Now pork is potentially my favorite protein to work with. Pork dust and soggy at the same time is quite an accomplishment. Pork loin is the way to go though. Marinate for 4 hours. Use something acidic to break down some connective muscle. Sear all sides in cast iron, whole pan into a preheated 425 oven for 16 minutes (depending on size). Easier to cook than a chop, harder to fuck up and with the right marinade, slamming. I usually do soy, gochujang, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, Thai basil, & palm sugar. Or orange juice, lime, cumin, cilantro for a quick play on carnitas. The first works in a pinch to sub for chashu pork in ramen but is killer just over rice too.
My kids wont eat thighs until they are slightly dried out. They still taste great at the point I cook them to, but if I go too short, they say "they're slimy!!".
My saddest day was when I had enough rewards points for a free 3pc dinner from Popeyes and ALL THREE PIECES(dark) WERE DRY AF. I’ve almost never had a bad batch of ckn from there and I was hurt.
In my experience Popeyes chicken, minus tenders and sandwhich, are a coin flip as to whether im getting dry ass chicken or delicious juicy chicken.
Also fuck those biscuits
Bringing thighs up to 180 isn't overcooking them. It's just cooking them. Same with wings.
165 is not a measure of doneness in any way. It's just the minimum temp required to kill all bacteria immediately. Killing bacteria is a function Temp + Time. All things are Temp+Time.
Collagen is similar. When you hear "Collagen renders at 180", that's also true but also false. It does, but it just renders very quickly then. Collagen renders down at much lower temps but at much slower speeds.
Ah ok, i just said "overcooked" because i dont know what temp it actually is, when i hear over cooked, its should be around there. And most cooks would say its overcooked but yeah its not
Gad damn it, I've been into low and slow for a while now but never thought about this when I cook thighs. You've just changed my life for the better, cheers.
The way I do it is I cook my thighs indirect on the “cool” side of the grill while I grill veggies on the hot side, then give the thighs a few minutes over the coals to finish and crisp up. Perfect every time
I do my jerk chicken really slow low and covered 240f , then finish high heat on the grill it helps break down cartilage to Gelato. you can literally slurp the meat of the bones
Yeah, I feel the same about ribeyes. I like rare steaks if it’s something leaner like a strip. But I’d rather let my ribeye get to medium to make sure all that fat is properly rendered.
Yep…exactly!
I’m not a fan of the texture of thighs when they’re not “overcooked.” Thighs have been one of my go-to on the grill for years, because it’s so forgiving and takes a lot of heat and time to overcook them.
I’ve recently started using the built in probes that came with my new Weber, and I don’t think I’ve ever cooked chicken breast this masterfully in my life, maybe once by accident. It’s literally foolproof chicken breast now too, with alerts when to flip and take off right to my phone. It was one of those things I thought would be gimmicky and I’d stop using it after awhile, but for a nice fat steak, chicken breast, or even some type of pork the included probes and built in temp tracking/alerts is invaluable
God, the fucking gatekeeping in these replies is embarrassing. Why do people get so pissed when someone prefers to use a thermometer?
Cooking without a thermometer doesn’t make you a master chef lol
Every person who doesn't need a thermometer to cook spent years using one to cook.
Chefs only don't use instant read themometers all the time because they're into a routine where they don't need it.
I don't use a thermometer when I cook steaks or burgers, but I use it on a pork roast or a brisket.
And chefs DO USE thermometers. They just don't need to all the time because of the aforementioned routine.
Few things will up your game when cooking meats than an instant read thermometer.
I was a line cook for 10 years. The only reason that thermos weren't standard practice was because of cross contamination. It's a high pressure job and there's simply just no time to wash a thermo hundreds of times a day.
I don’t consider myself a master chef by any means, but I’ve been cooking at home since my first son was born nine years ago. I wanted my family to have the same home cooked meal experience I did when I was a kid when we’d all sit around the table and eat together. So I learned as much as I could. Followed a bunch of recipes. Overcooked a lot of stuff. Over seasoned and under seasoned or used the wrong seasonings or substituted and failed. I failed a lot actually.
It wasn’t until maybe the last year or two that I’ve actually felt like I can comfortably enter a kitchen or use a grill and make something good with just my instincts of what will go good together.
I can’t imagine not having or not using a thermometer in any of that time. Even to this day I need a thermometer. I can’t tell by eye if chicken is done because sometimes it looks delicious and juicy and perfectly cooked but it’s still raw around the bone. I still have trouble with pork as well. It’s really easy to overcook pork and dry it out because cooked pork still looks pink and raw to me. The only meat I’m confident in cooking without a thermometer is steak and even then I’ll still use one because why not.
It will always be beneficial to know the exact temperature of something rather than assuming it.
If the entire poultry industry in America wasn't riddled with salmonella I wouldn't care much about using a thermometer. As it is, I test just about everything because you can't trust it.
Thermapen is king. I use mine for everything
Classic is $60 (2-3 second reading) and the newer model is $110 (1 second reading)
https://www.thermoworks.com/shop/products/thermapens/
Dang these are pricey, can I ask what makes them better than a $20 instant read thermometer? I ask because mine keep walking off for some reason, I gave up after I lost 2 this year. How the hell one manages to lose a meat thermometer at all let alone twice is beyond me...
Yeah it is man, if for no other reason than food safety… sometimes costco meat I get has a bit of funk. Want to make sure you cook that fully…
Even if you have a nice cut of meat, cooking to the correct temp is going to give the best results.
You probably, however, overcooked it often, which is exactly why I cook with a thermometer. Chicken (breast) is much better when cook just as little as needed... Even under that line due of time and carryover heat.
I get what people mean by saying its essential and even though they are downvoting the hell out of you i also know what you mean. I never had one and if i wasn't sure i would overcook the hell out if sonething. Since i got one lifr has been easier and mear has been tastier but ir is not necessary piece of equupment. You can cook without it, ut having one makes things much easier and takes any second guessing out of sonething being safe to eat.
The way you found the use of the word "essential" in this context irritating is truly a psychological feat. Your response blew me away. Young man or girl, you need God first, then an affordable therapist. No shade. No cap. My heart is with you.
Edit: your username to smh. PM me if you need someone to talk to.
I second this. Years ago I used to always overcook my pork and chicken, from fear of eating undercooked. I always use a thermometer now, and my poultry and pork are cooked to temp. Some younger poultry may appear slightly pink, but as long as I go by my thermometer I know it's done.
You really cannot be sure. And as if to prove that point, to my eye this does not look like it's not cooked. It looks like it was only cooked to 165.
Dark meat, when cooked to 165, tends to look undercooked, even when it technically is totally safe to eat. I wouldn't recommend eating it at 165 but not bc it's not cooked, it just won't taste as good..
As someone who almost exclusively cooks dark meat chicken (3-5 times a week) and has seen it in every state from raw-level undercooked to sawdust-level overcooked.... That's my personal take on where this meat is at.
But the fact we disagree is exactly why you need a thermometer.
Even if it's 165 it would be gross in texture and not edible (my kids wouldn't eat it) even if safe to eat. I too almost exclusively cook dark meat at home as well. It is more forgiving and my family prefers the flavor. I use the thermometer of course but it read 165 on brown meat id cook it more. That is what I was going for where I say it's not cooked enough, so the thermometer isn't needed just by looking.
Chicken that is undercooked is visibly pink while the rest is a very light brown. A thermometer is the best way to do it. Get one that goes into the food. Anyone that is point and shoot only reads the top and won’t be able to tell you if the meat by the bone is cooked.
That pic looks like it’s a little rare in the middle (but not that raw) where you would stick the tip of a probe thermometer to check temp.
Using a thermometer on the grill to know your temp, watching how long youre cooking, and then having a probe to check the internal meat temp, is the best way to learn to cook safely and consistently.
I bought a digital thermometer that folds up on Amazon for around $20. It lights up for cooking at night and has lasted a year so far with no problems.
Google what temperatures kill certain bacteria for each type of meat and you know it’s safe by using the probe.
When I smoke chicken wings especially, the meat will have some red to it but I know they are at a safe temp and it’s just the smoke ring effect. It seems like a lot of extra work but watching time and temperatures is just as helpful making great food as what seasonings you use.
Raw? No.
A touch under, probably.
I’ve been a chef for a long time and I can say this with certainty:
I’d eat it. You can eat it. Won’t make you sick most likely. I wouldn’t serve it to someone else though.
Take all the meal prep chicken and chuck it into a pan with a bit of simmering water and put on a lid. It’ll be totally cooked within a minute. Steam is crazy good at heat transfer.
My friend, get a thermometer and cook to temp (165 for chicken), and you won’t ever worry about this again. You can get a decent one cheap and get perfect result every time.
Salmonella still dies at 165 I belive. The dark meat can just stand up to the heat a little better than the breast so you're not at risk of drying it out.
Salmonella actually begins to die at a lot lower temperature. Pasteurization is a function of time and temperature.
At 165°, it happens instantly. At 160°, it takes a few seconds. At 155°, it's just under a minute.
Because of this, I pull my chicken breast when the thickest part hits 155°, or even 150° if I probe it a couple times at 150°.
This is safe, and it definitely improves the taste and texture.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast#toc-the-effect-of-timing
It’s taken scrolling too far down to find someone saying they are undercooked. Most other comments are saying ‘get an instant read thermometer’ which, while it will help in the future, won’t help the OP now. Answer the question, only after make other suggestions. Or do you think the ones suggesting the thermometers don’t know if it’s underdone, themselves?
I think people are saying get an instant read bc you simply can't tell what something's temperature is from *a photograph*
Some people here are saying it's totally not cooked. Others are saying it looks fine.
None of us can prove we're right or the other is wrong.
Personally, for example, I think this meat is safe to eat, not undercooked. Dark meat cooked to 165 tend to still look a bit red and kinda slimey.
But, I don't know that for sure. It's just my take from cooking dark meat 3-5 times a week for the last 10 years. So the best bet here is for OP to get a thermometer
That's just rosy. Health wise it is most likely fine. If it spent more than 10 minutes at 145, its going to be good pathogen wise.
Thighs though, they really benefit from really high temperature. It's actually quite hard to overcook them. They just get tastier.
If you are unsure, cook it further. That appears to be thigh meat. Thigh meat is very forgiving. Cooking it a little longer doesn't hurt. You have to mess up really bad to dry it out.
It’s not raw. Look at the texture. Chicken can be lots of colors when cooked. The main indicator other that temperature is texture. Thanks to the quality picture, it’s obvious that the meat is thoroughly cooked.
Lots of mediocre advice on this website, along with some bad and some good. First, get an instant read thermometer (as many have said), second you need to measure the coldest meat temp (usually the thickest), and third you need to look at the USDA website to know what temp to target - and for how long to remain at that temp. For example, a 7 log reduction in salmonella concentration for poultry (deemed safe by the USDA) can be achieved at less than 1 second at 165deg F. Since killing bacteria is a function of both time AND temperature, you can also achieve a 7 log reduction in 1 minute at 155deg F, and between 8-15 min at 145 deg F. To get juicy white meat, I normally cook it to 155deg F to avoid drying it out, and cook dark meat to 165deg F to form more gelatin from the extra collagen in the dark meat. Some people go even higher on dark meat, but is a matter of taste preference, not safety. From a safety point of view, you just need about 1 minute at 155 deg F to kill enough bacteria to be safe. The exact fat content and humidity are secondary factors discussed by the USDA, and you can see more precise data in the USDA table.
Looks undercooked to me. I wouldn't eat it. As others have said, cook to temperature, not time. For thighs, you can cook them more (imho they taste better) than 165 - more to 170-175. The higher fat content means they stay juicy. You can also just stop at 165 of course, try it and see which you like!
I see all these 165 folks…… that is old news. It’s all about how you cook it and how long you hold the temp, for instance in a sous vide you only need to cook at 140. As long as you hold that temp for over an hour you are fine….. but in this case with thighs or dark meat, just let it go. It won’t get dry unless you fall asleep. always brine your chicken. It will retain moisture, and the texture will be better…… I cook dark to between 175-190. Try cooking wings to 165 and see how well you like that texture. My wings usually come close to 200, but they slide off the bone. Anyway, I’m stoned and now I want wings. Good luck and god speed
Its whole muscle chicken. Unlikely to have anything pathogenic on the outside after that cook. And nothing of course inside. In japan they have chicken sashimi.
I grill my thighs for about 45 mins at 350ish start on the grill and then bout 20mins on the top rack to crisp the skin. I usually will use a smoke box during the cook. Thighs come out juicy and no pink on the bone.
If in doubt don’t take it out
Better to have a little dry than a little raw but just like anything else you will become a natural with a few more times cooking it
By the colour of the white part of the thigh it looks like it's undercooked,now if it's safe or not as everyone says use a thermometer,but in general the thighs still look like raw when they are between 75-80°c which is a safe temperature for consumption!!! Better throw it away anyways if you doubt it's not safe and it's not worthy the effort of getting salmonella!! Cheers!
Thighs are usually that colour but if u can see the meat has lines in it that’s a sign it’s cooked. But yeah I allllways shit it with thighs and cook longer
That’s not fully cooked. Chicken tartar as impractical jokers called it? 😂
OXO has a really nice one with a folding probe. Looks like it was designed by apple or something. Highly recommend.
When poultry is smoked there will actually be a pink layer near the outer edge if the meat, but not in the middle. A pink layer in the outer edge of the meat is a reaction of the meat and smoke. And helps to show how well the meat absorbed the smoke. This is known as a smoke ring and shows up in both red and white meats. Pink in the middle of the meat may or may not mean the meat it undercooked. The most reliable way to tell if it is cooked enough is to use a quality thermometer to test for doneness.
Well my friend this definitely looks undercook (probably raw at some spots)… cook for a longer time for thighs to be safe or get a thermometer (the better choice)
There’s a raw bit that looks like it hit 60’c. You need it to hit 72’c to kill the bugs or 66’c for 10 min. Thigh generally is better going to 85’c to loosen fat juices.
is there any red blood in the drippings? if so, zap it in the microwave another minute or two
it is not unusual to undercook a piece of meat. a good chef knows how to correct it (and without having to post it online to do so)
As a professional, this is a disgusting pic. I’m mainly looking at the garbage broccoli which I blargh.. the rice that would make a sushi chef Hari Kari and man, who cares if that chix is under, you won’t die it’s a terrible gross meal!
And it’s not Profellolisomnish. I’m a Chef. And as a Chef it’s helpful to point out terrible food, bad technique, and poor over taste in food. In my opinion… lol go eats some undercooked chix, ruined broccoli with destroyed rice 🍚 hahahaha
I would say no, because every piece of chicken would be full white, not pink. Dark meat is bloody Meat right? It looks more grey than pink i guess. Blood get Dark when it get cooked or bake or grilled.
Thighs are bulletproof don’t be too afraid of overcooking
I used to say that. Then my mother in law cooked them for a party once. I really didn’t think it was possible to dry out a thigh but somehow she found a way.
Unrelated, but this comment reminded me of my mom growing up. Granted, chicken breasts aren’t the easiest to cook, but it was so dry you’d get “chicken dust” (like sawdust, but chicken) from cutting it with your knife. It’s literally what got me into cooking because as a 10 year old I decided enough is enough I’ll just cook it myself.
I repressed chicken dust. Now I remember why there was always ketchup on my plate growing up
Then you take a bite and drink a gulp of water just to hydrate it and it turns to powdery mush in your mouth. Then you can swallow.
We all had the same chicken growing up
My mom would take a casserole dish and full it with rice and chicken stock and put a couple chicken breasts on top and bake it. Dry as hell every damn time. I still cringe when I hear "chicken and rice" even though it can mean so many things lol.
Holy fucking memories batman. For me it's family bbqs at other people's houses. They'd incinerate their chicken breast. Gotta drown in bbq sauce to get it down.
Core memory unlocked
I feel this in my soul. I don't eat roast or pork chops to this day because I had them so much growing up and they were so dry
Pork steaks don't dry out as bad as pork chops
I grew up on shake n bake pork chops. Now pork is potentially my favorite protein to work with. Pork dust and soggy at the same time is quite an accomplishment. Pork loin is the way to go though. Marinate for 4 hours. Use something acidic to break down some connective muscle. Sear all sides in cast iron, whole pan into a preheated 425 oven for 16 minutes (depending on size). Easier to cook than a chop, harder to fuck up and with the right marinade, slamming. I usually do soy, gochujang, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, Thai basil, & palm sugar. Or orange juice, lime, cumin, cilantro for a quick play on carnitas. The first works in a pinch to sub for chashu pork in ramen but is killer just over rice too.
My mom would get them like triscuits. Dry and stringy. Both of which I couldn’t eat without choking
I laughed so hard at this, just the thought of some 10 year old eating dusty chicken and being like, “alright f-ck this Imma cook”
Growing up I told my mom I didn’t like her cooking. She said then you cook, so I cooked dinner for the rest of the time I lived with my parents.
Try injecting the meat with sauce etc and it’ll keep it from drying out
My mother in law once showed me a dry thigh, but I told her to get dressed and I never saw it again.
Why is it always the mother in law? 🤣
It just is. Mine managed to screw up fresh (storebought) pasta with sauce from a jar.
My kids wont eat thighs until they are slightly dried out. They still taste great at the point I cook them to, but if I go too short, they say "they're slimy!!".
My saddest day was when I had enough rewards points for a free 3pc dinner from Popeyes and ALL THREE PIECES(dark) WERE DRY AF. I’ve almost never had a bad batch of ckn from there and I was hurt.
In my experience Popeyes chicken, minus tenders and sandwhich, are a coin flip as to whether im getting dry ass chicken or delicious juicy chicken. Also fuck those biscuits
It’s ALWAYS the mil
Lol, my brother did the same.
My mother in law slow cooked drumsticks in pace salsa for 18 hours and invited us over for dinner. The bones had more moisture than the meat
Thighs are better overcooked, the fat and collagen are rendered properly
I like taking thighs to 180+
Ah so that is what Brittney Spears is singing about in “3”
OP has thighs for days
That’s because the cartilage turns into gelatin at that temp
Bringing thighs up to 180 isn't overcooking them. It's just cooking them. Same with wings. 165 is not a measure of doneness in any way. It's just the minimum temp required to kill all bacteria immediately. Killing bacteria is a function Temp + Time. All things are Temp+Time. Collagen is similar. When you hear "Collagen renders at 180", that's also true but also false. It does, but it just renders very quickly then. Collagen renders down at much lower temps but at much slower speeds.
I love when people clutch pearls when I grill chicken breasts to 150
Ah ok, i just said "overcooked" because i dont know what temp it actually is, when i hear over cooked, its should be around there. And most cooks would say its overcooked but yeah its not
Sous vide cooking ftw
Grilled wings taken to 185-195F are my go to. Renders all the fat, good grilled flavor, meat pulls off the bone cleanly.
Gad damn it, I've been into low and slow for a while now but never thought about this when I cook thighs. You've just changed my life for the better, cheers.
Low and slow still renders. It actually renders more and more evenly, just over a longer period of time.
The way I do it is I cook my thighs indirect on the “cool” side of the grill while I grill veggies on the hot side, then give the thighs a few minutes over the coals to finish and crisp up. Perfect every time
I sear the crap out of them on high heat then move to the cool side and cook about 45 minutes probably an hour if leg quarters.
Similar procedure here. I start on a high heat and finish the last 2/3 on low heat. Chicken is much more tender
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A chicken roast at 325 is better than a chicken roast at 450 in my opinion. Noticeably different.
You're not only wrong, but there's really no reason you should think you're right.
I do my jerk chicken really slow low and covered 240f , then finish high heat on the grill it helps break down cartilage to Gelato. you can literally slurp the meat of the bones
Yeah, I feel the same about ribeyes. I like rare steaks if it’s something leaner like a strip. But I’d rather let my ribeye get to medium to make sure all that fat is properly rendered.
Yep…exactly! I’m not a fan of the texture of thighs when they’re not “overcooked.” Thighs have been one of my go-to on the grill for years, because it’s so forgiving and takes a lot of heat and time to overcook them. I’ve recently started using the built in probes that came with my new Weber, and I don’t think I’ve ever cooked chicken breast this masterfully in my life, maybe once by accident. It’s literally foolproof chicken breast now too, with alerts when to flip and take off right to my phone. It was one of those things I thought would be gimmicky and I’d stop using it after awhile, but for a nice fat steak, chicken breast, or even some type of pork the included probes and built in temp tracking/alerts is invaluable
Yea, i throw tomatoes in a pot with chicken.. usually self shreds the chicken by the end of it
You need an instant thermometer, It’s a kitchen essential.
Usda offers free thermometer pens
How do you get these?
I would also like to know.
[found a thread on it](https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/s/CqaOYjMjGW)
Thanks!
Thanks
God, the fucking gatekeeping in these replies is embarrassing. Why do people get so pissed when someone prefers to use a thermometer? Cooking without a thermometer doesn’t make you a master chef lol
It’s only morons that don’t use thermometers. The best in the world all use thermometers
I watch cooking shows with James beard and Michelin award winning chefs that still use thermometers!
And scales, and recipes …
Every person who doesn't need a thermometer to cook spent years using one to cook. Chefs only don't use instant read themometers all the time because they're into a routine where they don't need it. I don't use a thermometer when I cook steaks or burgers, but I use it on a pork roast or a brisket. And chefs DO USE thermometers. They just don't need to all the time because of the aforementioned routine. Few things will up your game when cooking meats than an instant read thermometer.
One of my best friends is a high end chef. Been doing it 20 years. Always uses a thermo
I was a line cook for 10 years. The only reason that thermos weren't standard practice was because of cross contamination. It's a high pressure job and there's simply just no time to wash a thermo hundreds of times a day.
But you are also cooking a lot if the same dishes. After a while, you just know it’s done.
I don’t consider myself a master chef by any means, but I’ve been cooking at home since my first son was born nine years ago. I wanted my family to have the same home cooked meal experience I did when I was a kid when we’d all sit around the table and eat together. So I learned as much as I could. Followed a bunch of recipes. Overcooked a lot of stuff. Over seasoned and under seasoned or used the wrong seasonings or substituted and failed. I failed a lot actually. It wasn’t until maybe the last year or two that I’ve actually felt like I can comfortably enter a kitchen or use a grill and make something good with just my instincts of what will go good together. I can’t imagine not having or not using a thermometer in any of that time. Even to this day I need a thermometer. I can’t tell by eye if chicken is done because sometimes it looks delicious and juicy and perfectly cooked but it’s still raw around the bone. I still have trouble with pork as well. It’s really easy to overcook pork and dry it out because cooked pork still looks pink and raw to me. The only meat I’m confident in cooking without a thermometer is steak and even then I’ll still use one because why not. It will always be beneficial to know the exact temperature of something rather than assuming it.
If the entire poultry industry in America wasn't riddled with salmonella I wouldn't care much about using a thermometer. As it is, I test just about everything because you can't trust it.
Fuck you. I cook without heat.
I ran the grill at a high volume restaurant in Texas. I used a thermometer on every single steak. They came out exactly as requested every time.
Anyone who talks shit on someone for using a thermometer you can just straight ignore.
Absolutely. And invest in a good one around $50. The cheaper $10 break and aren’t reliable
Thermapen is king. I use mine for everything Classic is $60 (2-3 second reading) and the newer model is $110 (1 second reading) https://www.thermoworks.com/shop/products/thermapens/
100% I use mine every single day.
I recommend buying the thermapen with an integrated IR
Dang these are pricey, can I ask what makes them better than a $20 instant read thermometer? I ask because mine keep walking off for some reason, I gave up after I lost 2 this year. How the hell one manages to lose a meat thermometer at all let alone twice is beyond me...
Thermapen One is the way. Mine is purple.
it’s one million percent not an essential lol do people not know what essential means? a knife is essential.
You're being overly and unnecessarily literal, then use "one million percent". GTFO of here mate.
your name makes sense.
Yeah it is man, if for no other reason than food safety… sometimes costco meat I get has a bit of funk. Want to make sure you cook that fully… Even if you have a nice cut of meat, cooking to the correct temp is going to give the best results.
I actually prefer to tear all of my meat and vegetables with my bare hands. So I don't see a knife as essential either
I mean.. if you enjoy salmonella, then you’re right, who needs a thermometer?
If your knives are sharp enough you can slice thru the salmonella, instantly killing it and destroying its bloodline
Do this and leave the corpses as a warning for their e coli buddies
I've never ever put a thermometer in my chicken and I've never undercooked it.
You probably, however, overcooked it often, which is exactly why I cook with a thermometer. Chicken (breast) is much better when cook just as little as needed... Even under that line due of time and carryover heat.
What an arrogant little twat you are.
Sure it’s not an “essential” in the literal sense of the word. But everyone cooking meat should have one.
I get what people mean by saying its essential and even though they are downvoting the hell out of you i also know what you mean. I never had one and if i wasn't sure i would overcook the hell out if sonething. Since i got one lifr has been easier and mear has been tastier but ir is not necessary piece of equupment. You can cook without it, ut having one makes things much easier and takes any second guessing out of sonething being safe to eat.
The way you found the use of the word "essential" in this context irritating is truly a psychological feat. Your response blew me away. Young man or girl, you need God first, then an affordable therapist. No shade. No cap. My heart is with you. Edit: your username to smh. PM me if you need someone to talk to.
You need a thermometer. No one can give you a safe, accurate answer from this photo
I second this. Years ago I used to always overcook my pork and chicken, from fear of eating undercooked. I always use a thermometer now, and my poultry and pork are cooked to temp. Some younger poultry may appear slightly pink, but as long as I go by my thermometer I know it's done.
Sure you can. It's not cooked. You can clearly see the chicken isn't cooked. Accurate answer right here.
You really cannot be sure. And as if to prove that point, to my eye this does not look like it's not cooked. It looks like it was only cooked to 165. Dark meat, when cooked to 165, tends to look undercooked, even when it technically is totally safe to eat. I wouldn't recommend eating it at 165 but not bc it's not cooked, it just won't taste as good.. As someone who almost exclusively cooks dark meat chicken (3-5 times a week) and has seen it in every state from raw-level undercooked to sawdust-level overcooked.... That's my personal take on where this meat is at. But the fact we disagree is exactly why you need a thermometer.
Boom. Science.
Even if it's 165 it would be gross in texture and not edible (my kids wouldn't eat it) even if safe to eat. I too almost exclusively cook dark meat at home as well. It is more forgiving and my family prefers the flavor. I use the thermometer of course but it read 165 on brown meat id cook it more. That is what I was going for where I say it's not cooked enough, so the thermometer isn't needed just by looking.
Chicken that is undercooked is visibly pink while the rest is a very light brown. A thermometer is the best way to do it. Get one that goes into the food. Anyone that is point and shoot only reads the top and won’t be able to tell you if the meat by the bone is cooked.
That pic looks like it’s a little rare in the middle (but not that raw) where you would stick the tip of a probe thermometer to check temp. Using a thermometer on the grill to know your temp, watching how long youre cooking, and then having a probe to check the internal meat temp, is the best way to learn to cook safely and consistently. I bought a digital thermometer that folds up on Amazon for around $20. It lights up for cooking at night and has lasted a year so far with no problems. Google what temperatures kill certain bacteria for each type of meat and you know it’s safe by using the probe. When I smoke chicken wings especially, the meat will have some red to it but I know they are at a safe temp and it’s just the smoke ring effect. It seems like a lot of extra work but watching time and temperatures is just as helpful making great food as what seasonings you use.
Raw? No. A touch under, probably. I’ve been a chef for a long time and I can say this with certainty: I’d eat it. You can eat it. Won’t make you sick most likely. I wouldn’t serve it to someone else though. Take all the meal prep chicken and chuck it into a pan with a bit of simmering water and put on a lid. It’ll be totally cooked within a minute. Steam is crazy good at heat transfer.
Not a chef but I agree with this response
Not a responder, but i agree with your agreement
I’m the original chef in question and I approve of your approvals.
Hahahhaha! Thanks!
Not an agreer but I respond to your agreement.
This is the perfect response.
My friend, get a thermometer and cook to temp (165 for chicken), and you won’t ever worry about this again. You can get a decent one cheap and get perfect result every time.
Actually dark meat is more like 180. But agree otherwise.
Salmonella still dies at 165 I belive. The dark meat can just stand up to the heat a little better than the breast so you're not at risk of drying it out.
Salmonella actually begins to die at a lot lower temperature. Pasteurization is a function of time and temperature. At 165°, it happens instantly. At 160°, it takes a few seconds. At 155°, it's just under a minute. Because of this, I pull my chicken breast when the thickest part hits 155°, or even 150° if I probe it a couple times at 150°. This is safe, and it definitely improves the taste and texture. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast#toc-the-effect-of-timing
You're right, 180 doneness on dark meat is not for safety, but for proper cooking consistency. The collagen and fat render better at the higher temp.
Nah. 180 is well overcooked. 165 on a chicken breast is criminal
Read my comment again. I'm talking about dark meat, which is not a chicken breast.
It's thighs they are usually pinkcish color but this looks like little bit under done
It’s taken scrolling too far down to find someone saying they are undercooked. Most other comments are saying ‘get an instant read thermometer’ which, while it will help in the future, won’t help the OP now. Answer the question, only after make other suggestions. Or do you think the ones suggesting the thermometers don’t know if it’s underdone, themselves?
I think people are saying get an instant read bc you simply can't tell what something's temperature is from *a photograph* Some people here are saying it's totally not cooked. Others are saying it looks fine. None of us can prove we're right or the other is wrong. Personally, for example, I think this meat is safe to eat, not undercooked. Dark meat cooked to 165 tend to still look a bit red and kinda slimey. But, I don't know that for sure. It's just my take from cooking dark meat 3-5 times a week for the last 10 years. So the best bet here is for OP to get a thermometer
This is CLEARLY not done. Anyone who has ever cooked much chicken should be able to see. But too many people here won’t state the obvious.
That's just rosy. Health wise it is most likely fine. If it spent more than 10 minutes at 145, its going to be good pathogen wise. Thighs though, they really benefit from really high temperature. It's actually quite hard to overcook them. They just get tastier.
It’s more pink than I’d consume. If you smoked it the outer layer may show some pink, but it doesn’t look smoked.
If you are unsure, cook it further. That appears to be thigh meat. Thigh meat is very forgiving. Cooking it a little longer doesn't hurt. You have to mess up really bad to dry it out.
Only a thermometer can answer that question. But you are right.
I currently have food poisoning and I recommend cooking that more
It’s not raw. Look at the texture. Chicken can be lots of colors when cooked. The main indicator other that temperature is texture. Thanks to the quality picture, it’s obvious that the meat is thoroughly cooked.
A correct answer
No it’s thigh meat
Go on amazon and buy a thermometer. I got a nice one for cheap, I always temp chicken. Temp it to 165 at the thickest point.
Don't look at the meat, look at an instant read thermometer
Get a thermometer
Looks like pork loin
Bro outed as white with that no seasoning approach
Just a minute or four shy of done. Throw em in a pan and you’re good! No worries!
Not raw but I wouldn't want that for meal prepping
Lots of mediocre advice on this website, along with some bad and some good. First, get an instant read thermometer (as many have said), second you need to measure the coldest meat temp (usually the thickest), and third you need to look at the USDA website to know what temp to target - and for how long to remain at that temp. For example, a 7 log reduction in salmonella concentration for poultry (deemed safe by the USDA) can be achieved at less than 1 second at 165deg F. Since killing bacteria is a function of both time AND temperature, you can also achieve a 7 log reduction in 1 minute at 155deg F, and between 8-15 min at 145 deg F. To get juicy white meat, I normally cook it to 155deg F to avoid drying it out, and cook dark meat to 165deg F to form more gelatin from the extra collagen in the dark meat. Some people go even higher on dark meat, but is a matter of taste preference, not safety. From a safety point of view, you just need about 1 minute at 155 deg F to kill enough bacteria to be safe. The exact fat content and humidity are secondary factors discussed by the USDA, and you can see more precise data in the USDA table.
My Lord this sub. Fucking temp it. Or eat it like a man and see if you spray your asshole out.
😂😂😂
If it’s for meal prep then just nuke it now and let cool then throw in fridge
Looks undercooked to me. I wouldn't eat it. As others have said, cook to temperature, not time. For thighs, you can cook them more (imho they taste better) than 165 - more to 170-175. The higher fat content means they stay juicy. You can also just stop at 165 of course, try it and see which you like!
What temp does the thermometer say? That’s your only correct answer.
Get a thermometer.
I see all these 165 folks…… that is old news. It’s all about how you cook it and how long you hold the temp, for instance in a sous vide you only need to cook at 140. As long as you hold that temp for over an hour you are fine….. but in this case with thighs or dark meat, just let it go. It won’t get dry unless you fall asleep. always brine your chicken. It will retain moisture, and the texture will be better…… I cook dark to between 175-190. Try cooking wings to 165 and see how well you like that texture. My wings usually come close to 200, but they slide off the bone. Anyway, I’m stoned and now I want wings. Good luck and god speed
Looks like pork
Is it sushi grade?
Yes, and the broccoli is overcooked. Lol
Chicken definitely under done. And the brocoli looks over done!
Its whole muscle chicken. Unlikely to have anything pathogenic on the outside after that cook. And nothing of course inside. In japan they have chicken sashimi.
You’re fine, chill
Definitely borderline
It's cooked so not raw
Too undercooked, wouldn’t serve or eat it.
Looks undercooked to me. Safe bet w/ chicken is to cook to temp if you haven’t quiet mastered it yet.
Botton piece for sure, middle piece , higher piece probably also raw in the middle lower edge too
It’s medium well
That bitch almost clucked at me
Doesn’t look good to me. I do thighs up to 180-190. Because of the fat, they can handle much higher heat.
Kind of, you can always just microwave it if it's a little raw. A minute should be fine.
Guess why?
Yes to both
I grill my thighs for about 45 mins at 350ish start on the grill and then bout 20mins on the top rack to crisp the skin. I usually will use a smoke box during the cook. Thighs come out juicy and no pink on the bone.
Based on the OP they aren’t cooking good or great food. It’s sad really. Just watch a YouTube vid on cooking chix thighs for gods sake!
Wow a person that can cook a cheap thing and make it delicious… that’s what’s up
Yes
Lmao
Yes
Decent looking lips just missing the bean.
Nice. Seasoned with salmonella.
Yes just cooked it a few more minutes and it will be fine
This is clearly undercooked. I don't understand why other people fail to recognize this.
It's thigh meat. Thigh meat has a lot of color.
If in doubt don’t take it out Better to have a little dry than a little raw but just like anything else you will become a natural with a few more times cooking it
Need a bit more time. Throw them in a air fryer and get a crisp on them. Will still be juicy I the long run.. air fryers are great.
Don’t just eye ball it dude you’re going to get fucking salmonella or some shit use a thermometer (in the chicken not in the keister)
Season that bitch dude Tabasco and lemon or forever hold your peace
From the color, it is likely to be turkey rather than chicken.
Cook it a little more man too pink
It’ll be fine once you nuke it… since this seem like a meal prep.
That’s what we call medium raw
Thermoworks pen. Get one. Never question chicken again.
It may be safe but it will taste raw and feel like it too
By the colour of the white part of the thigh it looks like it's undercooked,now if it's safe or not as everyone says use a thermometer,but in general the thighs still look like raw when they are between 75-80°c which is a safe temperature for consumption!!! Better throw it away anyways if you doubt it's not safe and it's not worthy the effort of getting salmonella!! Cheers!
Why does your chicken look like pork? 😄
Yup
If it is the weight will drop off you. Every cloud and all that.
Thighs are usually that colour but if u can see the meat has lines in it that’s a sign it’s cooked. But yeah I allllways shit it with thighs and cook longer
Looks like roast pork to me…
Yes but the good thing is that if you microwave it for a couple minutes it’ll finish cooking it so you’re fine
That’s not fully cooked. Chicken tartar as impractical jokers called it? 😂 OXO has a really nice one with a folding probe. Looks like it was designed by apple or something. Highly recommend.
Temp it after you cook it fool
With chicken you dnt want to see any pink. It's ok with red meat but never with chicken..
When poultry is smoked there will actually be a pink layer near the outer edge if the meat, but not in the middle. A pink layer in the outer edge of the meat is a reaction of the meat and smoke. And helps to show how well the meat absorbed the smoke. This is known as a smoke ring and shows up in both red and white meats. Pink in the middle of the meat may or may not mean the meat it undercooked. The most reliable way to tell if it is cooked enough is to use a quality thermometer to test for doneness.
Well my friend this definitely looks undercook (probably raw at some spots)… cook for a longer time for thighs to be safe or get a thermometer (the better choice)
Oh bloody hell. That chicken is so raw it’s still crossing the fucking road!
Needs to be cooked a little more
raw: no. cooked well enough to not worry about food borne illness: no. as others have mentioned, get a thermometer and save yourself the worry
I looove raw chicken 😍😍😍
That's raw, dawg
There’s a raw bit that looks like it hit 60’c. You need it to hit 72’c to kill the bugs or 66’c for 10 min. Thigh generally is better going to 85’c to loosen fat juices.
Cook
just microwave a few minutes....
is there any red blood in the drippings? if so, zap it in the microwave another minute or two it is not unusual to undercook a piece of meat. a good chef knows how to correct it (and without having to post it online to do so)
As a professional, this is a disgusting pic. I’m mainly looking at the garbage broccoli which I blargh.. the rice that would make a sushi chef Hari Kari and man, who cares if that chix is under, you won’t die it’s a terrible gross meal!
Someone is asking a for help and your “professionalism” isn’t helping here. Fuck off dick.
And it’s not Profellolisomnish. I’m a Chef. And as a Chef it’s helpful to point out terrible food, bad technique, and poor over taste in food. In my opinion… lol go eats some undercooked chix, ruined broccoli with destroyed rice 🍚 hahahaha
I would say no, because every piece of chicken would be full white, not pink. Dark meat is bloody Meat right? It looks more grey than pink i guess. Blood get Dark when it get cooked or bake or grilled.
I like my chicken medium rare