Cooking Journal #7

Chicken Steak

Remember last week, when I did chicken nuggets, and I said that it's not what I usually do? Well, this is what I usually do: Chicken steak.

The difference is in the cuts. Stir Fry is usually cut into ribbons. It helps in cooking the meat quickly. Chicken nugget makes a nice compromise in cutting time and cooking quickly. Chicken steak like this is cut very broadly, and thickly. This is one of those cook and leave alone for a while.

On medium low, I think this goes about 10 minutes. Again, I go by smell. You can go by bubbles. If the chicken stops bubbling, that means the water is gone, and you can test to see if the chicken is fully cooked by then.

If you look at the chicken, you don't see any brownings at all. There's no caramelization involved. This is because by nature, the chicken breast that I'm using  has water, and it got mixed in the cooking. So, it's partly fried, and partly boiled. The result is well cooked chicken, but somewhat devoid of taste.

If I wanted to, I can dip the chicken into hot oil to induce caramelization process and get the crispy texture outside. This will result in better taste. Alas, I am too lazy for that. Please pass the ketchup. Thank you.