Odd textured chicken

So glad I’m vegan. I’d much rather have a veggie lunch than worms cancers or bruises thank you very much rosina plus my food have never suffered cruelty torture or stress.

We have had chicken like this from a supermarket. No idea what causes it though - sorry.

Definitely sounds like 'Woody Chicken Breast:
blog.cacklehatchery.com/woody-chicken-breast-one-more-reason-to-grow-your-own/

It seems that meat tenderness depends on a number of factors, including how meat is treated post-mortem.

www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/meat-tenderness

Which EU rules are those?

Speaking to an employee of a major supermarket who also had a turkey farm he said they do not taste the same and can be tough because they are restricted on what they feed them due to EU rules e.g. they can't just roam about and eat whatever they like. We buy Sainsbury's corn fed which is tender or chicken from the butchers but never battery farm cheap stuff.

I wouldn't ever question anybody being veggie. I don't eat much meat and I've tried being veggie, but I'm afraid I just like meat too much and I found it difficult to eat a low carb diet.

4allweknow I agree with you about chicken thighs. I buy my meat from a farm (it's my one extravagance) and even their chicken breasts are bland. I find thighs have loads more flavour and there's more meat on them than legs or wings.

Gosh and people still question why I have gone veggie. This is enough to make a saint swear :-worms.cancer. etc. yuck.

I find that organic chicken can be tough and stringy?

Chicken breast seems to be a hit or miss for me. Tried from supermarket to organic farm and the taste and texture just seems bland. I changed to using thigh meat for a lot of recipes and find that has more flavour and a better texture. Also cheaper!

Def not breast cancer as chicken don't have breasts! Chicken breast meat is muscle.

To H1954, My husband and I went to our local Italian restaurant in Canterbury where we had chicken breasts wrapped in prosciutto. We each found the breasts inedible. They were like rubber and really odd. The owner swore they were fresh from their usual butcher that day. He refunded for one meal and we haven’t been back. Have never had this trouble at home.

If not freezer burn then hopefully just a bit of bruising.

Forests -the long thin threads will likely be veins and not worms.

As with all animals we are all susceptible to diseases so who knows what we are eating.

Uggh! Vegetarian lunch, anyone?

Glad I don’t eat meat when I read about worms cancers and bruises

I know this is an old thread but when I used to live on the farm and was given free range chickens (prepared by the farmer) he said not to worry about the bruising.

What I found when I cooked the chook, was exactly what the OP mentions - the flesh was bruised before demise.

Monica that recipe made my mouth water!
I've cooked pigeon ages ago when my ex. used to go pigeon shooting in the pea fields, and we enjoyed it. As you say it needs long slow cooking.

Although I would have preferred pheasant breast over pigeon.

M0nica that sounds absolutely yummy!

Phoenix chicken drumsticks. You are right, I am wrong. I actually used boned chicken thighs.
Quite sufficient for one, if you want to reduce your meat consumption. We had a pigeon breasts casseroled for supper. Just one breast per person instead of two but lots of chestnusts, onion, a bacon rasher chopped finely and port and beef stock and a long slow cook and, though I say it myself, it was so tasty.

The chickens we buy nowadays are nothing like chickens raised in a natural situation.
We kept a small number of chickens, also other kinds of poultry, for 16 years. Free range as much as possible bearing in mind the threat from foxes etc.
We used most of them 'for the pot'. But you couldn't use them for these recipes - they were tough and 'gamey'.
Either soup, casserole or coq au vin after overnight marinating.

Fennel there are a few recipes that I do from time to time that just wouldn't work with chicken breasts, similarly there are others where it is the only option (my mini roast, chicken & chipolata wrapped in bacon, for example).

Right meat for the right dish!

I agree phoenix
Chicken thigh meat is darker than breast and drumsticks, and more tasty.

Chicken thighs (not legs/drumsticks) are often bought here.

Yes, we do buy breasts, but for some dishes thighs on the bone or thigh meat off the bone is so much better!

H1954 why do you only buy & eat chicken breast meat?