Any cooking experts here?

[ec437]

So I wanted to cook up a chicken breast using some apple cider vinegar, sugar, cumin, and garlic.

 

How should I do this? Make it into a marinade and then grill it? Bread it? Fry it in a pan with the mix?

[willsellout]

Kinda sounds like a bad mix to me actually. If you add some Olive oil, salt, pepper and change the cider to balsamic and cut out the cumin, it would be better I think. Then you could add some balsamic reduction after grilling which would really bring the flavors together.

 

But use it as a marinade for about 2 hours and then grill.

 

So:

Balsamic

Olive oil

garlic

salt

pepper

red onion

 

MIx in a blender then marinade chicken,

 

Pound out chicken breasts to an even thickness (do this before you marinade) and grill.

Pour reduction over chicken and serve with cous cous and some asparagus and viola!

 

 

Dan

[Darkstorm]

Doesnt sound like that good a combo of seasonings to me either. How come you picked that combo? And yes do any pounding before marinading or else you make splashes all over the kitchen. Lol.

[ec437]

I know it sounds weird, but it is way better than it sounds.

 

I like to try new things.

[Emprov]

I'd use an olive oil base, nix the vinegar and maybe use a touch of fresh lime juice instead. And definitely use it as a marinade and throw it on the grill -- I bet it'd be awesome on salmon as well. Sounds good!

[PrestiaRules]

I say add a touch of olive oil and pepper to what you have...it is tasiter that it may sound to some. Let it sit minimum two hours and grill over charcoal if its an option. Or low on BBQ.

 

The other option would be slow roast/bake. Is it skin on? Bone in? If it is both I would go charcoal option as my first choice then slow roast until it becomes nice and brown and the sugar and rest of marinade has collected nicely....mmmmmmmm

 

If it is skinless, boneless standard BBQ would work or:

 

fry with butter in the pan and save Apple Cider Vinegar to use to deglaze...

 

(rub down chicken with remaining ingredients add to hot mixture of olive oil and butter, brown chicken not stirring too much so bottom of pan 'collects' some nice golden brown color' than hit it with two or three ounces of the vinegar and shake so all that deliciousness from the bottom of the pan comes up and blends. Add a touch more butter and a few ounces of chicken stock if you have it....if not just water and let it cook down until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon)...it will kick ass!

 

15 years in the kitchen in my previous life!

[ec437]

Yeah, I tried it with olive oil, didn't like it.

 

I didn't end up cooking it up tonight, I might give it a shot tomorrow and let you know how it turns out.

[Deep Bass]

 

I say add a touch of olive oil and pepper to what you have...it is tasiter that it may sound to some. Let it sit minimum two hours and grill over charcoal if its an option. Or low on BBQ. The other option would be slow roast/bake. Is it skin on? Bone in? If it is both I would go charcoal option as my first choice then slow roast until it becomes nice and brown and the sugar and rest of marinade has collected nicely....mmmmmmmm If it is skinless, boneless standard BBQ would work or: fry with butter in the pan and save Apple Cider Vinegar to use to deglaze... (rub down chicken with remaining ingredients add to hot mixture of olive oil and butter, brown chicken not stirring too much so bottom of pan 'collects' some nice golden brown color' than hit it with two or three ounces of the vinegar and shake so all that deliciousness from the bottom of the pan comes up and blends. Add a touch more butter and a few ounces of chicken stock if you have it....if not just water and let it cook down until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon)...it will kick ass! 15 years in the kitchen in my previous life!

 

 

Wow! that sounds terrific!

 

To the original poster: that combination of ingredients sounds good! Don't let anyone dissuade you.

 

I almost never grill chicken breast anymore because they get too dry. Pan frying or baking retains all the juices. However, I have grilled chicken breast that had been soaked in brine, which turned out good. So if you marinade, leave out the sugar; sugar will only burn on the grill way before the meat is done.

[Jazz Ad]

First things first, your seasonings don't balance properly.

Sugar is useless because cider vinegar alreay sweatens the mix.

Cumin is ok but it's a very raw taste and there is nothing to tame it down.

Garlic is even worse.

There is no "greaser" in the mix so each element will taste of its own rather than spice up the meat.

Well this is from a "scientifical" point of view, so to say, the way I'd approach it with French cooking principles.

 

If it was a practical exercise, I'm make a caramel with a few spoons of vinegar and sugar, then add garlic cut in very small pieces, grossly roast the meat in the caramel spread some cumin and slap the thing on the grill.

 

If you want to balance things, get rid of cumin or add a touch of thyme to it, shallots instead of garlic, brush with oil or add sour cream to the final mix before grilling. If would come out much better, I swear.

[mister natural]

^ what he said

 

it doesn't take a lot of cumin or cider vinegar to ruin a perfectly good piece of meat

[baracuda2004]

I prefer the cumon the breast not in it.

[Emprov]

If you want to balance things, get rid of cumin...

A Mexican buddy of mine has totally got me on a cumin kick lately. A few weeks back I rubbed a salmon down with olive oil, hit it was a bit of salt and pepper and a ton of cumin. Tasted awesome on salmon tacos.

[Jazz Ad]

Shall work fine with salmon.

[ec437]

First things first, your seasonings don't balance properly. Sugar is useless because cider vinegar alreay sweatens the mix. Cumin is ok but it's a very raw taste and there is nothing to tame it down. Garlic is even worse. There is no "greaser" in the mix so each element will taste of its own rather than spice up the meat. Well this is from a "scientifical" point of view, so to say, the way I'd approach it with French cooking principles. If it was a practical exercise, I'm make a caramel with a few spoons of vinegar and sugar, then add garlic cut in very small pieces, grossly roast the meat in the caramel spread some cumin and slap the thing on the grill. If you want to balance things, get rid of cumin or add a touch of thyme to it, shallots instead of garlic, brush with oil or add sour cream to the final mix before grilling. If would come out much better, I swear.

 

Hmm... well if the French are good at anything, I suppose it is cooking, so I will take some of your advice. Not all of it though

 

I'll let you know how it turns out:thu:

[Emprov]

 

Shall work fine with salmon.

 

....or just about any other type of meat. Make some Machaca and let the meat set for a few hours and cook in a sauce that's heavy in cumin. Friggin' yum!

[Undead Sycip]

My fave chicken marinate is Italian Dressing.

[ec437]

It turned out well. I ended up using sour cream as suggested by jazz ad, though that may have added a dimension to the recipe that I wasn't looking for. Next time I will try something else and some other method to cook it.

[Verlian]

I'm sorry.. Emprov's avatar makes me want to think of puking not cooking...

 

But.. I like to cook... I'm not good at chicken though..

[ec437]

 

I'm not good at chicken though..

 

 

Neither am I. But like I said, every time I cook something, I try to stretch myself and use ingredients together that everyone else would cringe at, and have it taste good. Tonight was a success, as was last week's cinnamon spaghetti sauce:thu:

[Verlian]

 

Neither am I. But like I said, every time I cook something, I try to stretch myself and use ingredients together that everyone else would cringe at, and have it taste good. Tonight was a success, as was last week's cinnamon spaghetti sauce:thu:

 

 

........Cinnamon Spaghetti sauce?.... That sounds quite rancid......

 

 

o_o;;

 

 

My specialty is ... Ramen noodles. Since I don't get a good ingredients often.. Unless I go to the store myself.

[ec437]

 

........Cinnamon Spaghetti sauce?.... That sounds quite rancid......

 

 

You'd think so, wouldn't you. There was chili powder in it too, and if I never told you, you would have thought it was delicious;)

 

Next week I'm going to try to expand on mac'n'cheese.

[Verlian]

 

You'd think so, wouldn't you. There was chili powder in it too, and if I never told you, you would have thought it was delicious;) Next week I'm going to try to expand on mac'n'cheese.

 

 

Hmm.. Did it taste like Spaghetti sauce?...

 

 

 

Mac 'N Cheese, eh?...

 

Good luck, mate.

[bleepo]

 

Tonight was a success, as was last week's cinnamon spaghetti sauce:thu:

 

Not an uncommon sight in my house either...

[Deep Bass]

 

You'd think so, wouldn't you. There was chili powder in it too, and if I never told you, you would have thought it was delicious;) Next week I'm going to try to expand on mac'n'cheese.

 

 

Mac-n-Cheese

[Deep Bass]

 

First things first, your seasonings don't balance properly. Sugar is useless because cider vinegar alreay sweatens the mix. Cumin is ok but it's a very raw taste and there is nothing to tame it down. Garlic is even worse. There is no "greaser" in the mix so each element will taste of its own rather than spice up the meat. Well this is from a "scientifical" point of view, so to say, the way I'd approach it with French cooking principles. If it was a practical exercise, I'm make a caramel with a few spoons of vinegar and sugar, then add garlic cut in very small pieces, grossly roast the meat in the caramel spread some cumin and slap the thing on the grill. If you want to balance things, get rid of cumin or add a touch of thyme to it, shallots instead of garlic, brush with oil or add sour cream to the final mix before grilling. If would come out much better, I swear.

 

 

I agree that you have to be really careful with cumin; it's easy to over do it.

 

I've made fajitas several times and there is always cumin and vinegar in the recipe (usually apple cider or just white vinegar), as well as garlic. So I think as long as the proportions are appropriate, it should turn out fine with the original poster's ingredient list.