# Help With Mushy Chicken.



## mumu (Jul 10, 2012)

my crock pot broke and i had to use my baking dish....here is what i did and i think something went wrong bec. the meat tasted mushy.....or  Is this the way it is suppose to be after u braise it? i put some chicken pieces with skin on in baking dish and poured the bbq sauce on covered it tightly baked it at 350 took about a hour and a half and it was done. But again was very mushiy any advice.


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## Margi Cintrano (Jul 10, 2012)

Mumu,

From my point of view:  I believe you had over cooked it, for 1.5 hours. 

Have nice evening.
Ciao,
Margi.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 10, 2012)

It's mushy because you braised it. Braising should be reserved for tougher cuts of meat. Chicken, in my opinion, is better roasted, grilled, or fried. All of these methods help ensure it will have crispy skin and meat that remains moist and juicy.


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## mumu (Jul 10, 2012)

the recipe was in my book for crock pot cooking so i figured it was  ok


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 10, 2012)

Here's a good recipe I've used before. It always comes out wonderful.

Perfect Roast Chicken Recipe : Ina Garten : Recipes : Food Network


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## LPBeier (Jul 10, 2012)

Crockpot cooking works on the basis of going "low and slow".  You cooked your chicken "slow" at and hour and a half, but at 350 degrees it was now "low" enough.  If you want the same effect I would got down to 300 or even 275.  

Also, If I am going to put my chicken in the oven I will sear it on the stove first to keep in all the juices and give it a nice colour and texture on the outside.

The Ina Garten recipe Steve mentioned is a real good one.  I have tried it myself!


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## Addie (Jul 10, 2012)

There is a big difference between baking and braising. Excellent advice above.


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## mumu (Jul 10, 2012)

thank you.  and Addie.....I love what u wrote on God. I think i will make some little notes and pass them out to a few people.


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## no mayonnaise (Jul 10, 2012)

I'd say get better chicken.
I've never had braised chicken come anywhere close to "mushy."  Even braised chicken has been either good or tough and dry.


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## Addie (Jul 10, 2012)

mumu said:


> thank you. and Addie.....I love what u wrote on God. I think i will make some little notes and pass them out to a few people.


 
It is one of my pet peeves of life. There are so many other words in the English language to use in the place of calliing on God for everything that happens in life.


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## mumu (Jul 11, 2012)

dont mean to be a pest on this braising thing. But if braising is for tougher cuts of meat,works best on . How is it ok to say for meat balls baked in oven till done than put in Mariana sauce braising?  I thought it was used for though meat not cooked? meat balls are fully cooked in oven .


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## Andy M. (Jul 11, 2012)

mumu said:


> dont mean to be a pest on this braising thing. But if braising is for tougher cuts of meat,works best on . How is it ok to say for meat balls baked in oven till done than put in Mariana sauce braising?  I thought it was used for though meat not cooked? meat balls are fully cooked in oven .



The first step in braising is to brown the meat over high heat before adding to a liquid.  In this case, the sauce is not just a medium for cooking the metballs but the meatballs in the sauce are the dish.

Meatballs in sauce is a common dish.  I know some people who add the raw meatballs to the sauce as well as some who brown them in the oven or a skillet on the stove top before adding to the sauce.

The point is the browning adds tons of flavor to the meat whether it's served on its own or in a sauce.


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## mumu (Jul 11, 2012)

i know the process of braising ....what is throwing me off track is usually u brown meats but that doesnt mean they are cooked or done, they finish in the liquid. But here when u brown the meat balls in the oven they are all ready brown and done cooking,and now u put them in the sauce....to me u are just warming up the sauce and meat balls. Am i missing something here?


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## Oldvine (Jul 11, 2012)

I think it was over cooked.  The crock pot temp does not match the 350 degrees that you had the oven set on.


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## mumu (Jul 11, 2012)

maybe i am not suppose to cook the meat balls completely in oven?


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## mumu (Jul 11, 2012)

i guess i wasnt suppose to bake the meat balls till they were completely done....just till there brown. Then finish up in the sauce. oops.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jul 11, 2012)

I brown the meatballs in a skillet, and then finish cooking them by adding them to the pot I'm cooking the sauce in.


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## Addie (Jul 11, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I brown the meatballs in a skillet, and then finish cooking them by adding them to the pot I'm cooking the sauce in.


 
And that is how the old Italians do it. The modern day cook, browns and cooks them partially in the oven and then places them in the marinara gravy. They don't have the time nor do they want to stand over a frying pan and brown and turn the meatballs. While the meatballs are in the oven, they could be loading the dishwasher or some other small chore. Yet they are close enough to keep an eye on the oven. I am with the old timers.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jul 11, 2012)

Addie said:


> And that is how the old Italians do it. The modern day cook, browns and cooks them partially in the oven and then places them in the marinara gravy. They don't have the time nor do they want to stand over a frying pan and brown and turn the meatballs. While the meatballs are in the oven, they could be loading the dishwasher or some other small chore. Yet they are close enough to keep an eye on the oven. I am with the old timers.



That's funny, I learned that from a real Italian, one who was born and grew up in Italy. 

She even made me promise to not post her recipe on the Internet.


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## Addie (Jul 11, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> That's funny, I learned that from a real Italian, one who was born and grew up in Italy.
> 
> She even made me promise to not post her recipe on the Internet.


 
So did I. I learned at the knees of Italians that didn't go back to Italy after the war. They were DPs. I think I was the only non-Italian in my town. Keyes vs. Mastrogiovani. Guess which one I was.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 11, 2012)

If I am making a batch of meatballs for the freezer, I use the oven method. If I am making Swedish meatballs, I brown them on the stove and finish them either in the oven or the roaster oven. I don't make spaghetti and meatballs--Spaghetti was every Monday night on the 7-day rotation schedule, year around. I can think of 100 other things I'd rather cook or eat than spaghetti. I'm old enough, I don't have to eat spaghetti with meat sauce anymore.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jul 11, 2012)

My Italian friend is the only native Italian I know. I have only this one recipe, but perhaps more in the future... I mean to ask her for her scampi recipe, but I'll probably get my arm broken if I post it.


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