Chinese take-aways: chicken, rabbit - or what?

CUCINA

Don't know if this has been brought up before (oops! maybe an unfortunate phrase!) but is the chicken in a typical Chinese take-away really chicken? It probably wouldn't be so bad if it was actually rabbit (I remember visiting relations down in Carlow and they would sometimes have a rabbit (dead!) hanging on ther back door, which would subsequently form the highlight of a family meal). But what if it is not either? The appearance and even the texture of the meat does not resemble typical chicken you might have in other restaurants etc...
Actually, even the "beef" has something different about it but maybe that's another story.
Anyway, I haven't had a Chinese take-away since I saw the film "Gran Torino". Anyone who has seen this excellent film will know what I am talking about! But maybe that's unfair to the Chinese tradition, as distinct from the Vietnamese...

antoniosicily

if you're not able to distinguish a rabbit from a chicken (or from a dog, cat whatever) it is a really big problem, probably you should stop eating chinese :-)

BaZmO*

A "typical" Chinese take away will always use the meat it says it uses, might not always be the best cut or best quality though.

Sure there's been cases of certain places using different meats other than what's advertised but those incidences are most certainly in the minority.

I think the whole, "Chinese restaurant serves Dog to customer" label comes from the fact that the Chinese in general aren't as squeamish as westerners when it comes to eating food.

olaola

It's reconstitued chicken - which is why it has an odd texture.

rocknchef

take aways marinate there meat in sesame oil and corn starch and some still use msg. this breaks down the protiens and make the meat more tender it also makes the chicken really white. but nowa days they use breast meat unless they state that on a menu.

but if you were to dine in a real Chinese restaurant you would not see any good cuts it would be all offal and things we would call left overs that they use and my god do they taste good:)

the beer revolu

Chicken can be really cheap to buy. Why would a restaurant take chances using other meats when there isn't really anything to gain.
Cheap, imported battery chickens would be very cheap alot cheaper than rabbit!
Pork is also very cheap to buy - alot cheaper then dog!!

These rumours stem from racism.

I remember years ago the top Chinese restaurant in Cork closed for renovations. A rumour started that they were closed because greyhounds were found in their cold room (dead ones).
The restaurant ended up printing a half page ad in a local paper disclaiming these rumours. I know people who, while accepting the falseness of the rumours, still won't eat there (15 years later). Somebody maliciously started that rumour and people were happy to blindly believe it and pass it on. Racism!

I'm glad to say that said restaurant is still in business despite the setbacks!

I'd say to anybody, please think of the consequences before you you help to spread these sort of unfounded rumours!!!

CJhaughey

The beef in Chinese cuisine is usually sliced across the grain and thinly, this may explain the different texture.
Chicken could be tenderised by beating it with a mallet as well, just like a steak.

the beer revolu

CJhaughey wrote: »

The beef in Chinese cuisine is usually sliced across the grain and thinly, this may explain the different texture.
Chicken could be tenderised by beating it with a mallet as well, just like a steak.

Yes and as stated above they usually marinate it to tenderise it.

Papaya or pineapple will seriously change the texture of beef.

antoniosicily

I love rabbit, if chinese resturants start selling rabbit at the same price of chicken I will be there every night

The Hill Billy

A significant element to Chinese cookery is texture. For some dishes the texture of Chinese food is often as important, if not more so, as the flavour.

One of the cornerstone techniques used is "velveting". rocknchef touched on this earlier in the thread when mentioning marinating the meat prior to cooking it.

For more info on velveting google 'chinese velveting meat'.

FYI - The dish called "Velvet Chicken" has nothing to do with "velveting".