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Stir-frying, like sautéing, is a cooking method that quickly cooks the chicken in a little oil, using high heat. The difference between the two methods is that sautéing cooks serving size pieces of meat and stir-frying involves cooking smaller size pieces that have been cut into strips, cubes or diced pieces all similar in size.

Poaching is a healthy method of cooking chicken because no fat is added. It retains the chicken's flavor, tenderness and moisture through a gentle simmering process. Poaching is an especially good method to use when cooking chicken that normally has tougher meat, such as stewing hens and chicken that has a tendency to be a little dry, such as skinless breasts.

Steaming is an ideal method for cooking boneless chicken breasts and small whole birds such as Cornish hens. It retains the flavor, tenderness and moisture through the use of steam.

Grilling and broiling are very similar methods of cooking chicken. They both use a dry heat that quickly cooks the surface and then slowly moves to the middle of the meat. Also, grilling infuses the chicken with a smoky flavor from the meat juices that drip during the grilling process. When broiling, this infusion of flavor does not occur.

Baking is similar to roasting in that the chicken is cooked in a preheated oven. Roasting involves the cooking of a whole chicken where as baking generally involves the cooking of chicken pieces.

When choosing a chicken for roasting, it is best to select a bird that is labeled a "roaster." Roasters are generally older birds with more muscle, flavor and fat. The fat is favorable for roasting because it adds flavor and moisture to the meat as it is cooking and will eventually melt off through the cooking process.

Shopping Tips | Thawing Tips | Refrigerating Tips | Freezing TipsHandling and Safety Tips | Marinating Tips | Stuffing Tips | Trimming & Slicing TipsChecking Doneness | Roasting Tips | Frying Tips | Grilling & Broiling TipsSteaming Tips | Stir-fry Tips | Tenderness Tips | Light Tips | Cooking Tips Shopping Tips: Decide how much time and effort you want to use in preparing and cooking the cut you select.

Pork producers today have significantly changed production methods to produce much leaner meat than 25 years ago. Better breeding and feeding of the hogs and a grading system that stimulates the meat packers to trim more of the external fat than they did in the past has resulted in leaner meat.

Shopping | Thawing | Marinating | Rubs | Cooking | CarvingGeneral Safety and Handling | Ground Beef Safety and Handling | Nutrition Shopping Lean boneless cuts yield up to 4 servings per pound.

Comparison of Various Cuts of Beef with Chicken | Miscellaneous Nutritional Tips The USDA recommends 2 or 3 servings of meat, fish, or poultry per day. One serving of cooked beef is equal to 3 ounces and is about the size of a deck of cards.