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Tough chicken breasts

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  • 02-10-2017 10:35am
    #1
    robbe
    Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I use quite a lot of chicken breasts (I know not the most flavoursome of cuts/meat) and have noticed if anyone has experienced as I have in recent times (last year or so) that the texture of some chicken breasts can be fibrous/tough even prior to cooking i.e. when cutting up/butterflying? This has happened to me recently with corn-fed Irish chicken breasts bought in Tesco/Supervalu and regular fillets (Irish) bought in the local butchers. Did a google search (probably not a great idea) and saw a reference to 'woody breast' (no I am not making this up) which seems to fit the issue I'm experiencing - this is described as a condition afflicting some producers whereby the meat is tough due to hard/woody interlacing fibres.

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woody-breast-could-bite-the-chicken-business/

    It isn't harmful but not particularly appetising. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced? Sound advice would be to avoid fillets in favour of thighs etc but it is quite handy to prepare for kids meals.....tried pounding out the fillet but tbh if I encounter a fillet like this (can sometimes be one in a pack of 3) I just bin it as even when 'tenderised' it is still noticeably tougher.


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    #2
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 16,800 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    If you're not going to eat these afflicted breasts, please return them to the shop rather than just binning them.


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    #3
    Squall Leonhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Squall Leonhart


    the beer revolu wrote: »
    If you're not going to eat these afflicted breasts, please return them to the shop rather than just binning them.

    Would you like to purchase chicken from a store that somebody else had brought back? Could have been out of the fridge for a few hours, in, out, handled, re-packed, etc. No thanks.


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    #4
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 16,800 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    Squall Leonhart wrote: »
    Would you like to purchase chicken from a store that somebody else had brought back? Could have been out of the fridge for a few hours, in, out, handled, re-packed, etc. No thanks.

    No shop would resell returned refrigerated produce. That would be just asking for trouble.


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    #5
    Squall Leonhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Squall Leonhart


    the beer revolu wrote: »
    No shop would resell returned refrigerated produce. That would be just asking for trouble.

    Ah. Sorry. I misunderstood. You meant return to store in order to get a proper refund, not for the sake of avoiding wasting food.


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    #6
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    I find buying only the small size breasts can reduce the risk of getting them.

    Partly because if this i have started buying turkey more now.


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    #7
    elperello
    Registered Users Posts: 14,412 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    Try not to delve too deeply into the rearing of the chickens or you may have to change your diet.
    A good marinade may help.


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    #8
    byronbay2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,772 ✭✭✭byronbay2


    I stopped buying the chicken breast fillets in Aldi for this exact reason about 2 years ago. I would often find one fillet in the pack (out of 3 or 4) was tough and could not be tenderised. I love Aldi and shop in there once or twice every week but buy my chicken breast fillets in SuperValu now. Have never had this problem with the SV chicken.


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    #9
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    Have had a this problem with chicken breasts from all different supermarkets and some butchers . Which is a shame as I am buying less chicken now over it.

    There is a local butcher that does free range West cork fillets and had no issue with them so far


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    #10
    Dial Hard
    Registered Users Posts: 13,413 ✭✭✭✭Dial Hard


    Squall Leonhart wrote: »
    Ah. Sorry. I misunderstood. You meant return to store in order to get a proper refund, not for the sake of avoiding wasting food.

    The store can still issue a refund.


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    #11
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,373 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Squall Leonhart wrote: »
    Ah. Sorry. I misunderstood. You meant return to store in order to get a proper refund, not for the sake of avoiding wasting food.

    It also lets the shop know there is a problem. I dumped mouldy unopened "parbaked" bread at tescos info counter, well within date, didn't wait for a refund, stupidly long queue and was a cheap item. In this case the issue is not obvious though.

    -I think they purposely have minimal staff on the counter to put people off complaining and getting refunds for being overcharged etc. I was not going to have additional weight charges on my bin though.


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    #12
    miece16
    Registered Users Posts: 597 ✭✭✭miece16


    had this problem last week. got 2 chicken marylands from the butcher. cooked it up for 40 minutes and tried cutting it. i had to fight the knife to get into the chicken.

    thought i didn't cook it enough so threw it in for another 10 min and after opening it,
    looked quite weird in parts like fibrous.

    time to stay away from the chicken for a while i think
    image.png




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    #13
    robbe
    Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭robbe


    the beer revolu wrote: »
    If you're not going to eat these afflicted breasts, please return them to the shop rather than just binning them.

    Did this once but more often than not I am up to my elbows in chicken and may already have binned the container they came in - typically it will be 1 of say 4 of the fillets that aren't usable...fully accept that the modern factory farmed produce contributes and re the marinade it's so tough that no amount of marinading would tenderise it....am buying less and less chicken as a result or buying whole chicken and cooking on the bone but I did wonder if it was just me. As I mentioned I've experienced it on fillets bought from most places incl SV corn-fed breasts.


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    #14
    Radharc na Sleibhte
    Registered Users Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭Radharc na Sleibhte


    robbe wrote: »
    Hi,

    I use quite a lot of chicken breasts (I know not the most flavoursome of cuts/meat) and have noticed if anyone has experienced as I have in recent times (last year or so) that the texture of some chicken breasts can be fibrous/tough even prior to cooking i.e. when cutting up/butterflying? This has happened to me recently with corn-fed Irish chicken breasts bought in Tesco/Supervalu and regular fillets (Irish) bought in the local butchers. Did a google search (probably not a great idea) and saw a reference to 'woody breast' (no I am not making this up) which seems to fit the issue I'm experiencing - this is described as a condition afflicting some producers whereby the meat is tough due to hard/woody interlacing fibres.

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woody-breast-could-bite-the-chicken-business/

    It isn't harmful but not particularly appetising. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced? Sound advice would be to avoid fillets in favour of thighs etc but it is quite handy to prepare for kids meals.....tried pounding out the fillet but tbh if I encounter a fillet like this (can sometimes be one in a pack of 3) I just bin it as even when 'tenderised' it is still noticeably tougher.

    Yes, yes, yes!!!!
    I wondered did I get a bad turkey breast.
    Has happened me quite a few times now in Super Valu. As you say, you can even see it in them as you’re prepping.
    Strangely, it’s only ever one out of a pack. I’ve never got two or three in the one pack, so are they throwing an odd one in to get rid of it or what?
    I know it’s harmless but it is actually disgusting. The texture makes me feel like I’m eating something on I’m A Celebrity.


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    #15
    robbe
    Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭robbe


    Apologies for resurrecting this but I'd like to see if my recent experiences match others....have reduced the number of meals I make with chicken breasts now but seem to be encountering the issue on pretty much every second batch of chicken breasts I buy. In the past few months I've bought from the following places and all seem to be afflicted (though some to a lesser extent)

    Tesco (regular/free range and corn fed)
    Dunnes (free range/corn fed)
    Supervalue (regular/corn fed)
    Butchers (regular)
    Donnybrook fair

    I made a curry recently with a pack of 4 chicken breasts from DB fair and 3 were fine, the fourth had the hard fibrous consistency mentioned above - really manky. Switched away from chicken breasts to other meats/cuts but they are handy for a quick meal. I wonder if anyone else has experienced the same recently? I can be seen pacing the isle checking the packs as sometimes you can spot a potential offender (but not always).


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    #16
    silverharp
    Registered Users Posts: 17,849 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    ive either been very lucky or I have no palate, I have never noticed this and I'd normally get the bog standard Tesco stuff.

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



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    #17
    Gloomtastic!
    Registered Users Posts: 8,349 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    I've been trying to figure out why I haven't had the same problem and realised it is probably because I chop up my fillets into pieces for curries, stir fries, gougons etc, very rarely eat whole breasts. If I was eating chicken meat whole, it would probably be the thigh, much tastier.


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    #18
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,373 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    robbe wrote: »
    I can be seen pacing the isle checking the packs as sometimes you can spot a potential offender (but not always).
    Can you feel the difference if you picked one up? I always find it odd that you do not see vacuum packed chicken much, you might be able to feel them if they were.

    If it was happening all the time, especially if 1 in 4 then I would be asking them to individually bag them and give them all a feel through the bag. Then you could hand it back right away. Even better if one is bad as they could feel the difference themselves. If none are bad you might look a bit odd but I would just explain it to them.


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    #19
    neris
    Registered Users Posts: 20,043 ✭✭✭✭neris


    I get chicken breasts from a butcher and they are very watery but some to touch. Go to the supermarket especially a German one and the breasts are a lot more firm. I think the quality of the popular cuts of any meat now aren't great


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    #20
    robbe
    Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭robbe


    Selecting them on an individual basis would make sense - they are pre-packaged most typically and you would be able to discard any that appear really firm to the touch that way.....as a for instance I've attached a pic of some chicken from DB Fair (not bought by me) a few days ago and you can see the texture looks wrong....it was mank btw.


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