I have a love/hate relationship with chicken. My husband still tells the story about the first time we went to the county fair together. After walking through the chicken barn, I couldn't eat chicken for 6 months. They are not the cleanest of animals. Seeing all of those birds stuffed into little cages, pooing everywhere, and smelling not so nicely, turned my stomach. But let's face it, there are some delicious chicken dishes, and after the memory of the county fair faded, I went back to eating poultry. White chicken meat is also touted as being one of the healthiest meats - another reason for me to push the image of the chicken barn out of my mind.
However, a few months ago, when I began researching how our food is produced in this country, I vowed never to buy or eat commercial chicken again. Factory farms, where most chickens in the U.S. are bred and grown, are filthy. The air is so full of toxins that the humans working there have to wear masks. The chickens, however, breathe in all of the dirty air. Some chickens are kept in cages so small that they cannot move. Some chickens are kept on feedlot floors, so crowded that they also have trouble moving. They literally live in filth. Commercially produced chickens have also been genetically modified to grow faster and produce more breast meat. Their bodies grow so fast that their legs cannot keep up, and many are not capable of walking. I cannot believe that the meat from these animals could possibly be healthy.
There are farmers who still raise chickens naturally, and I found one at the farmers' market this past weekend. He had photos of his farm, showing that his chickens are healthy and clean. They spend most of the day outside in the sun and fresh air. They eat a natural diet. I bought a whole chicken and brought it home to grill. The meat was leaner than what I have found in the supermarket. Even the skin looked less fatty. The body was proportioned differently, with smaller breasts. And it tasted great! I felt much better about serving this kind of meat to my family.
One of my favorite ways to cook chicken is on the grill, using a beer can stand. You can buy these stands where they sell grill accessories. It's a small metal stand that you slide a beer can into. You slide the chicken over the top of the stand, and as the beer heats, it steams the inside of the bird. It keeps the meat moist and permeates it with flavor. I also use a Tuscan herb rub on the outside of the chicken. It is so good!
Tuscan Herb Rub
4 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. ground thyme
Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Rub or pat on chicken, pork or lamb just before cooking.
Sounds great! Chicken raised naturally just has to be healthier.
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