Photograph by Jon 'ShakataGaNai' Davis
In school, you receive “extra credit” when you go above and beyond what is necessary. For some reason, people also apply this to cooking chicken. Since grilling season is upon us, I feel the need to set the record straight.
The USDA has done a great job of making sure that salmonella poisoning is foremost in our minds. They have told us what the right temperature chicken needs to be (165 degree internally), and drilled it into our heads that it needs to be completely white throughout. This is all good.
The public, on the other hand, has taken it a step further. The fact that the chicken is the right temperature and white isn’t good enough for us. We need to be sure. Really sure. We check it at 165 degrees, but give it a while longer just in case. When it is really dry and needs a steak knife, it’s definitely done.
Let me suggest that there’s a better way. Cook chicken until it is just done—when cooking chicken breasts, preheat your grill, allow it to get really hot and then turn it down to medium-high heat as you put the chicken on it. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side (of course check to make sure the temperature reaches 165, but it’s a good guideline) then pull it off and let it rest. Remember that the temperature will continue to rise for several minutes after it is removed.
Rest is essential for all meat following grilling—give it about 10–15 minutes tented loosely with foil. This allows the meat to stay warm and the juices to redistribute. You might be surprised at how juicy chicken can be, but don’t be afraid—you’re doing it right.
Forget about “extra credit” when it comes to grilling this season and enjoy the results. After all, it’s summer vacation.
