foto: YouTube/IRT rumahan
Brilio.net - Free-range chicken is a delicious choice to enjoy on various occasions, either alone or with loved ones. In addition to its delicious taste, free-range chicken also contains protein that is good for the body. However, many are reluctant to process it because the texture of the meat is tougher than other types of chicken, especially if not processed properly. Usually, to make it tender, free-range chicken is simmered or pressure-cooked for a long time, which of course takes time. However, there is a practical way that can be done to process free-range chicken so that it is tender without having to go through a long process.
As an alternative, you can imitate what the YouTube user IRT rumah did. In one of her videos, this netizen gives a trick to process free-range chicken without having to boil or pressure-cook it. Even so, the result is still tender and tastes delicious when eaten.
As reported by BrilioFood from YouTube IRT rumahan, Tuesday (21/1), the method she did is fairly easy to imitate. Moreover, you only need to prepare one kitchen ingredient, namely papaya leaves.
Without washing it first, squeeze a few papaya leaves. Once done, arrange the papaya leaves in a container.
"Knead the papaya leaves until they release a liquid like this," he explained.
photo: YouTube/homemaker
Then put the chicken to be processed on the papaya leaves. Once done, put a few papaya leaves on top until they cover the entire surface of the chicken.
"I use 3 papaya leaves until the entire surface of the chicken is completely covered," he said.
photo: YouTube/homemaker
If all parts of the chicken are covered, store the container at room temperature. Let it sit for 20 minutes so that the free-range chicken meat will be tender later.
Reported from iopscience.iop.org, papaya leaves contain the enzyme papain which can make the protein fibers in free-range chicken softer. After leaving it for 20 minutes, rinse each piece of free-range chicken one by one.
photo: YouTube/homemaker
Because it has been marinated using papaya leaves, the pieces of free-range chicken can be cooked directly according to taste. Like what this netizen did.
"I just stir-fry it using yellow spices until it's cooked," he said further.
photo: YouTube/homemaker
Once cooked, the stir-fried free-range chicken is removed.
Even without boiling or pressure cooking, it is proven that the texture of processed free-range chicken is perfectly cooked and tender.
"It's not hard at all, just split it with your hands and it will split open," he said.
Why papaya leaves are effective in tenderizing meat.Papaya leaves contain the enzyme papain which works as a natural tenderizer for meat. This enzyme is able to break down the protein in free-range chicken meat, thus breaking down the hard fibers to become softer. In addition to papain, papaya leaves also contain other enzymes such as chymopapain which work synergistically in the meat tenderization process. The use of papaya leaves is also safer than chemical meat tenderizers, because it comes from natural ingredients and does not leave harmful residues.
Variations of processed free-range chicken.After being tenderized with papaya leaves, free-range chicken can be processed in various ways. In addition to being stir-fried with yellow spices, it can also be made into fried chicken with galangal spices, grilled chicken with soy sauce, or chicken opor. For maximum results, marinate the chicken with selected spices after the tenderization process with papaya leaves. The spices will be more easily absorbed into the tender meat, producing a more delicious taste.
Tips for storing free-range chickens.If you want to store tenderized free-range chicken, there are several things to consider. After the tenderization process with papaya leaves and rinsing, dry the chicken with kitchen tissue to remove excess water. Store in an airtight container and put it in the freezer if you want to store it for more than a day. For storage in the refrigerator chiller, it should not be more than 24 hours. Before processing, thaw the chicken at room temperature or move it to the chiller a few hours before cooking. Avoid thawing frozen chicken with running water because it can reduce nutrients and change the texture of the meat.
(brl/tin)
