There are a few recipes I’ve made so many times my wonderful husband just flat out hates now. Shouldn’t he just be happy that he has a wife that is cooking for him? I think so, I really really do!
*Side note: Mac n cheese is the other recipe he could do without me ever making again. Honestly I’m wondering what is wrong with that man. HA! I’m on a quest to produce the perfect mac n cheese, so he better suck it up and continue to taste test!
It occurred to me the other day that my family totally over-did this recipe at the beginning of the summer. We had just purchased a grill (holla at that cheapo $100 grill from Amazon!!) and we were grilling EVERY-SINGLE-DAY. Now, you have to realize, there is a very good reason for us to be over grilling. At our previous residence we couldn’t have a grill. It killed me a little bit inside every time we drove by someone’s house that smelled like sweet delicious summer time grilling. I hated the place we were living at a little more every time I had to smell that smell knowing that the grill master in me needed an outlet.  I had in my mind that when we finally got a grill we had somehow “made it.” Yes, it was like my Benz. Only it was a grill, and I needed it in my life.
Newsflash: WE MADE IT. 🙂
Now that that really emotional and sentimental news has been broadcast all over the internet I think we shall move on.
One thing about grilling chicken that is a MUST for me is making sure your chicken isn’t too thick in any spots. I never grill chicken without pounding it first because there is nothing I hate more then when grilled chicken has a really fat side that takes forever and a day to cook through. If you have ever been at a restaurant and wondered why their grilled chicken that is seemingly so simple was 1,000 times better then your at home grilled chicken it is probably that their chicken was nice and even, with no super thick parts to take away from the yummy seasoning. My point: Flat chicken rocks!
The way I pound chicken (that may be obvious to some and totally new to others) is very simple:
- Mise en place: Translation… Get everything out before you start because once you have raw chicken on your hands you don’t want to have to go back to get your stuff out!
- Things you will need: Meat tenderizer aka keep my hubby in line hammer (totally just kidding don’t send me hate mail), cutting board, piece of plastic wrap or press n seal, chef knife, large bowl.
- I always filet my chicken first by cutting it in half length wise. This isn’t rocket science and yes, sometimes I end up with a few pieces that are extra thin and that’s totally fine with me!
- Place chicken on cutting board, put piece of plastic over chicken to ensure you don’t splatter everything you own with raw chicken bacteria.
- Using the meat tenderizer lightly pound chicken as flat as desired. Don’t be shy, yet don’t go ape shit on it. Unless of course you are looking to get some aggression out. 🙂
Serving Suggestions
- With flour tortillas (check those for trans fats! partially hydrogenated oil always seems to be lurking in these products) wrapped up with all the yummy toppings.
- With grilled peppers and onions.
- With a side of cilantro lime brown rice.
- And of course with as much cheese on top as humanly possible. Oh and sour cream, because you can’t have one without the other!
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