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Harry Soo's 145° chicken...thoughts?

cpw

cpw

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On the BBQ central show the other day, Harry Soo was talking about how he's been cooking his chicken to an IT of only 145 degrees (and holding it there at that temp for 10 minutes), and the end result was that is was a completely different product than a breast cooked to 165.

So what do all you experts out there think about this? Safe? Genius? Stupid?
 
Not an expert, however that sounds DISGUSTING! I would think it would be slimy and stringy.. yuck!
 
Ron_L said:
The official recommendation is 165 for at least 15 seconds.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81738

http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html

I've pulled them from the cooker at 155- 160 and then rested, but I think 145 is pushing it. Plus, I would think the texture would be off.
Click to expand...

He even mentioned that. He said that the FDA basically generalized all of their data and rounded up the number to be safe. He listed off a bunch of studies that were done to prove that the 145 number was still safe.

jrn said:
Did he say why exactly?
Click to expand...

It was to produce a juicier, more tender chicken. I guess along the lines of a rare vs. a well done steak.
 
Those papers are out there. Anybody cooking a thicker breast or thigh better be sure they know where they are temping.
 
As far as juicier and more tender, I am going to have to call BS. Chicken (and other meats) gets more tender at higher IT's, like 180 and such. Plus, since pretty much all chicken you can buy these days is pre-brined, or people brine chicken themselves, there is absolutely no reason that chicken cooked to 180+ tenderness will not be so juicy it dribbles down your chin.

Now, I've not done chicken like this, so I could be wrong. However, my own testing on many different meats has consistently shown that meats, even meats generally considered tough (like brisket) can be tender if cooked to rare or medium rare, but after that it starts to toughen up. At 145 you are definitely in the tough zone, and meat does not begin to soften up again until it hits around 180+.

So if he said it was tender in rare to medium rare temps, I would believe him but I would never eat chicken cooked to those low of temps. Once you pass those temps though, particularly when you hit temps over 140*, all experiences and testing I have ever done indicates that the meat will start to toughen up after 140* and stay tough until it starts getting over 180* where it loosens up (this goes for all beef and pork I have ever tested it on, both fatty and lean cuts).
 
I'll have to listen to that podcast because my first instinct is that something is foul here (not fowl :mrgreen:). Now, white meat is so radically different from dark meat and many folks will toy with 155° on white meat,.... but Harry is talking about competition thighs correct?

I would be afraid about the appearance/texture of the meat close to the bone and would think the risk of getting scored down would not be worth it....
 
thirdeye said:
I'll have to listen to that podcast because my first instinct is that something is foul here (not fowl :mrgreen:). Now, white meat is so radically different from dark meat and many folks will toy with 155° on white meat,.... but Harry is talking about competition thighs correct?

I would be afraid about the appearance/texture of the meat close to the bone and would think the risk of getting scored down would not be worth it....
Click to expand...

Here's a link where he clarifies his temps and holding times: http://thebbqcentralshow.com/harry-soos-chicken-method/
 
It's only a matter of time before he kills somebody salmonella don't die until 160.
 
It comes down to temp and the amount of time held at the temp for a food product to be safe. Harry is a pretty smart guy and I very highly doubt he would ever consider turning in a product that wasn't safe for the judges.
 
I cook chicken breast to 155 then pull them and foil them and let them rest about 15 minutes, usually they rise to 160 and they are fine. I think 145 is a bit low. I take thighs to 170 and let them rest in foil for about 15 minutes.
 
Sound science

As hard as this is to believe Harry has it right. Most meat temp recommendations are also paired with times. The higher the temp the shorter the time it needs to be there. Since Harry is keeping his foul at 145 for a full ten minutes that will kill salmonella, and most other things. I will try to find the chart I saw once that explains this better than my coffee deprived brain can.
 
The Chinese and Japanese routinely cook chicken to 140F and it is fine if you source good chicken. I cook whole chickens to 150F and the texture and moisture is far better in the breast than 160F. I have never, in 30+ years sickened a person.

But, for food service in restaurant or catering, I cook to 160F just to meet the guidelines.
 
I've been doing it for years. It makes for some really juicy yard bird :p As long as the juices run clear has been my rule of thumb. I also check that the meat isn't still pink around the bones.

JD
 
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