Smart Chicken

[FoodMan]

Alinka-

I buy mine from HEB in Houston. You hould have no problem finding them there.

[Alinka]

Elie, would you believe it, I bought my first Smart Chicken components at HEB yesterday! I'm saying "components", because all I could find was a lonely package with 4 thighs. Cookin' them tonight!

[budrichard]

I conducted a blind tasting for 2 individuals using a store chicken and a veg Smart Chicken both purchased from the same source on the same day. The individuals were knowledgable chicken eaters. Each chicken was cut up, flowered, egg and seasoned bread crumbs. they were then put into the same oven at the same time and roasted at 450F initially until a crust had set up and then finished at 350F. A slice of breast meat was served hot from each chicken to the testers. No difference in taste was noted by the tasters. The only difference was the moisture content. The store chicken was judged juicier. Looking at the breast meat, one could visualy see the Smart Chicken was more like turkey breast meat which should be no revelation considering the difference in processing. The Smart Chicken did not impress me as having anymore flavor and certainly not to the taste standards of the local poultry we purchase freshly slaughtered for us.

So while the idea is good, the premium of a $1/# for the veg and over $2/# for the organic is not justified.

A word about preception. Perception is supposed to be reality and it is in many instances. That is how advertisers sell products. They sell a preception whether it is perfume, beer or automobiles. Very few individuals conduct blind testing to justify thier perceptions. In some instance it is impossible to conduct a blind test such as for automobiles. Many individuals when confronted with the opportunity to test thier favorite product will resist and prefer to live with thier perception.

In the case of Smart Chicken, my limited testing shows only a moisture difference

which one would suspect would be the case. -Dick

[Susan in FL]

Your perception is interesting, Dick.

[Eden]

I did not do a blind tasting, but did roast my first smart chicken this week. it was very nice, I'd say it was on par with the organic chix I get at the grocery store, (i.e. better than the non-organic factory farmed birds) but not nearly as good as the free range chickens I get from a local farmer (Thundering Hooves for those of you here in WA)

I dont know, maybe my expectations were just too high after reading all the raves. It had good chicken flavor, just not as much as I was expecting...

[fifi]

Well . . . If you compare Smart Chicken to a REAL free range chicken, you won't get it. It is when you compare it to the water processed factory birds that you get the difference. Actually, the "organic" birds we get here are pretty much like so much cardboard. I will bet they aren't free range.

[snowangel]

Well . . . If you compare Smart Chicken to a REAL free range chicken, you won't get it. It is when you compare it to the water processed factory birds that you get the difference. Actually, the "organic" birds we get here are pretty much like so much cardboard. I will bet they aren't free range.

←

Agreed. I did a Smart Chicken the other night, and we are used to chickens raised by Mennonite kids (usually for FFA or 4-H projects, so often the chickens are named, and you always know the name of the kid who raised it), and there is no comparison. The "home-raised" chickens are just flat more chickeney. But, the Smart Chicken is a cut above the supermarket chickens, but we are spoiled.

[budrichard]

One last note: I routinely purchase 'free range' chickens from local farmers for various reasons. These chickens are raised on commercial feed for the most part but are allowed free range of the barnyard except for the little ones the hawks get. The farmers process them and I get them fresh, use or freeze. The primary difference is actually in the joints. These farm chickens average 6 to 8 #'s and the joints are much tougher than the cage raised little fryers or even the 'roasters' sold by the big producers. So while the concept of 'Smart Chicken' and 'Free Range' is appealing, the average Supermarket chicken on sale at $0.79/# is a very appealing bird monetarily, it just doesn't satisfy as well as the marketed bird does! In other words, Perception is Reality.-Dick

[dockhl]

For Central Coasters~

Scolari's in Paso Robles carries Smart Chickens, only organic as far as I can see. I don't know of any other store (in North County anyway) that carries them. One for dinner tonight.

(I also have Harris Ranch beef form Scolari's simmering for tomorrow's beef vegetable soup )