Bone In or Boneless? Best Value

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure.
I slow cooked a whole turkey and I did a whole
chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes
3Lbs. Both my chicken and turkey were so tender
they fell off the bones. I think some people won't
believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this
is the case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just
want to see if anyone else has figured this out. Thanks,
I'll be looking in.

I won't say that I don't believe you, when you have 50% loss, but I do find
the figure *in my experience* to be rather high.

That said, I think the decision to purchase bone-in v. boneless very much
depends on what you're planning to cook (consider, too, that boned poultry
tends to be rather expensive). For roasting or slow cooking poultry, I
pretty much only cook bone-in, because the bone adds flavor and moisture
(ditto the skin).

-j

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

All value is not judged by volume! The bones add something in the
cooking.

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Many folks will say that the meat tastes better if it's cooked with the bone
in.

And it depends on what your plans are for the bones. Usually when there's a
whole chicken or turkey around, I'm planning on soup in the near future. So
I want the bones and bits and leftovers for that.

And...I'll bet that if you started with just the meat and weighed it before
and after, you'd still see some weight loss. If you weighed the bones, it
would have given you a better idea how much was waste because of the bones,
and how much was other shrinkage.

In the end, it's really up to you which you like better, and it depends on
what kind of sales the stores are running to figure out which is most
economical.

Donna

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Depends on the price of the meat. Here in SoCal, chickens are usually on
sale every week somewhere. I save the bones & make stock.

Harriet, MBA 2006 (finally)

[email hidden] wrote in news:1149829303.089751.26540
@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

In the case of Chicken, bone in, and debone it your self, freeze the bones,
and make stock out of it.

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

I buy bone in meat because I like it and in many cases it adds to the dish.

If you want to compare cook a boneless piece of meat weighing it before
and after and you might be surprised to see how much less it weighs.

<[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Ditto what everyone else said, bone in meat is more flavorful.
I don't buy boneless aside from the occasional chicken breast.
Occurred to me, though, when you list the before weight, is that
the weight marked on the package? Because that includes the
package of mystery meat. Doesn't weigh much but it does weigh
something.

At any rate, boneless meat is more expensive, often by a lot,
so you have to take that into consideration. You save by doing
your own butchering.

nancy (buys boneless bacon, too)

In rec.food.cooking said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs.

Some of the difference is the bone, but much of the difference is moisture
loss.

--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Bone in equals more flavor. And usually faster cooking, because the
bone acts as a heat conductor throughout the meat.

Boneless equals easy cooking and eating. Your choice.

As a rule of thumb, the larger the bird, the better buy it is because
the bone takes up about the same volume, but there is more meat on a
bigger bird. At least, that's what I've been told.

N.

"Nancy2" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

As a rule of thumb, the larger the bird, the better buy it is because
the bone takes up about the same volume, but there is more meat on a
bigger bird. At least, that's what I've been told.

Same deal with lobster.

nancy

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Yes, but how much does the three pounds of boneless meat weight after
it is cooked ?

Many whole chickens are turkeys are sold with a solution of mostly salt
water added to increase the weight. Recently I have also noticed this
with other meats as well. My last package of boneless chicken breasts
had quite a bit of liquid in the package. So, even before cooking they
had lost a significant bit of weight. After cooking they had lost even
more.

Put in perspective, cheap boneless chicken breasts usually run at least
$2.00/lb (and up), while I can frequently find whole chickens for
$0.69/lb. Not an apples-to-apples comparison, but these are the things
I buy. Also, thighs are cheap, even if boneless.

For me, the best value depends on what I am cooking. For chicken
saltimboca*, I get the boneless breasts. My time is worth something,
and the bones don't get used in that dish. For chicken cacciatore, I
prefer the thighs, or whole chicken. For roasting, I like the whole
chicken. For soup, the whole chicken. For stir fries and curries, the
whole chicken, unless I am in a hurry. For chicken fajitas*, I use the
breasts. For fried chicken, the whole bird.

Aside from chicken, I like my pork chops with the bone. I'd pay more
per pound if I had to.

Dean G.

*Don't even start. I know, and I don't care. You know who you are.

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Of course everyone has weighed in with the facts regarding flavor and
use of bones, etc., but if you do the math, you still come out better
buying whole birds rather than boneless. For example, I can buy a
whole chicken for 59 cents a pound (or less sometimes) on sale. I can
buy boneless chicken breasts for 1.99 a pound, only on sale (it's
usually 3.99 or 4.99 a pound). So a 6 lb. chicken would cost $3.54.
If, as you claim, you only need to buy 3 lbs. of boneless chicken to
gain the same weight after cooking, then 3 lbs. of boneless chicken on
sale costs $5.97.

Sandy

Dean G. said:

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Yes, but how much does the three pounds of boneless meat weight after
it is cooked ?

Many whole chickens are turkeys are sold with a solution of mostly salt
water added to increase the weight. Recently I have also noticed this
with other meats as well. My last package of boneless chicken breasts
had quite a bit of liquid in the package. So, even before cooking they
had lost a significant bit of weight. After cooking they had lost even
more.

Put in perspective, cheap boneless chicken breasts usually run at least
$2.00/lb (and up), while I can frequently find whole chickens for
$0.69/lb. Not an apples-to-apples comparison, but these are the things
I buy. Also, thighs are cheap, even if boneless.

For me, the best value depends on what I am cooking. For chicken
saltimboca*, I get the boneless breasts. My time is worth something,
and the bones don't get used in that dish. For chicken cacciatore, I
prefer the thighs, or whole chicken. For roasting, I like the whole
chicken. For soup, the whole chicken. For stir fries and curries, the
whole chicken, unless I am in a hurry. For chicken fajitas*, I use the
breasts. For fried chicken, the whole bird.

Aside from chicken, I like my pork chops with the bone. I'd pay more
per pound if I had to.

Dean G.

*Don't even start. I know, and I don't care. You know who you are.

Well everyone is saying bone in has more flavor. Thats something to
think about.
Thats important to me. I don't eat the skin either and that has some
weight. My mum
lol complains that when you buy bananas you have to pay for the peal.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Usually I think boneless and still may. Not sure. I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

Most of the time when you buy a chicken, its just a chicken. But when you
buy boneless chicken, read the label carefully, because it will, more times
than not, tell you there's "Water Added." Even bone-in "parts," like those
industrial sized bags of frozen thighs down at the warehouse market are
usually "Water Added." Although I like my chicken brined, I don't mind doing
it myself, and I don't care to pay meat prices for the brine. I'd rather pay
meat prices for the bones, wingtips, carcase, and trimmings that I can use
later to make stock. Canned chicken stock is too light on chicken and too
heavy on salt to pay good money for.

--Rich

In article <[email hidden]>,

jacqui{JB} said:

That said, I think the decision to purchase bone-in v. boneless very much
depends on what you're planning to cook (consider, too, that boned poultry
tends to be rather expensive). For roasting or slow cooking poultry, I
pretty much only cook bone-in, because the bone adds flavor and moisture
(ditto the skin).

Also even if you lose half to the bones, the price of boneless is
much more than double the price of bone in, at least here.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Ranee Mueller said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jacqui{JB} said:

That said, I think the decision to purchase bone-in v. boneless very much
depends on what you're planning to cook (consider, too, that boned poultry
tends to be rather expensive). For roasting or slow cooking poultry, I
pretty much only cook bone-in, because the bone adds flavor and moisture
(ditto the skin).

Also even if you lose half to the bones, the price of boneless is
much more than double the price of bone in, at least here.

At regular prices. When boneless chicken breasts go on sale in
quantity, I can throw a trayful into individual Tilia bags and have
them at that price for months if not years. So even though there's
bagging costs and effort, it's well made up for by the price savings
and the speed and convenience when it comes time to thaw and prep.

--Blair

Blair P. Houghton said:

Ranee Mueller said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jacqui{JB} said:

That said, I think the decision to purchase bone-in v. boneless very much
depends on what you're planning to cook (consider, too, that boned poultry
tends to be rather expensive). For roasting or slow cooking poultry, I
pretty much only cook bone-in, because the bone adds flavor and moisture
(ditto the skin).

Also even if you lose half to the bones, the price of boneless is
much more than double the price of bone in, at least here.

At regular prices. When boneless chicken breasts go on sale in
quantity, I can throw a trayful into individual Tilia bags and have
them at that price for months if not years. So even though there's
bagging costs and effort, it's well made up for by the price savings
and the speed and convenience when it comes time to thaw and prep.

--Blair

I will have to do a test. I know the test won't work out like this but
if you could cook
6Lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts and end up with close to 6Lbs
after cooking
it might be a better deal even though it costs more per pound than bone
in.

Quoted message said:

I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

I roast or rotisserie 6-7 pound rosasting chickens all the time,
definitely don't lose half their weight, perhaps barely 1/3.

Slow cooked is tantamount to braised... what weight you lost was mostly
water (meat is better than 70% H2O), and fat (naturally if you discard
the fat instead of using it that's one's choice, years ago folks used
all that meat fat - years ago folks worked a heck of a lot harder - the
farmers around here don't need to watch their diets or go to a gym).
Bones in of themselves, especially poultry bones, contribute little to
weight loss from cooking. Most any braised meat will be reduced to
less than half it's raw weight... not ribs and other bony cuts but all
others. But you can't honestly claim you lost that weight because it's
now in the sauce you created.

When you purchase deboned cuts most of the higher cost is due to labor
(butchering)... takes time to trim and tie a roast. If one is a smart
shopper they will buy bone-in cuts and debone themselves, then the
bones and trimmings can be used to prepare very tasty dishes. This
week the Price Chopper stupidmarket chain here had bone-in center cut
pork loin on sale at 99¢/lb, I bought 15 pounds worth yesterday, spent
20 minutes trimming, deboning some, and repackaging... got a nice huge
roast, a mess of chops (9 biguns), and about five pounds stewing pork,
nice chunks that'll be used for braising and/or marinated for
grilling... bones will be used for pissghetti sauce. I even took a
picture of this package before opening... will post it in a week or so
when I have enough pics to download.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

Quoted message said:

I slow cooked a whole
turkey and I did a whole chicken. The 12Lb turkey after cooked, deboned
weighed in at 6Lbs. So you pay for 12Lbs and
get 6Lbs. Same with the chicken. 6Lbs becomes 3Lbs. Both my chicken and
turkey were so tender they fell off the bones. I think some people
won't believe these figures. I actually weighed them. If this is the
case is boneless possibly the better deal? Just want to see if anyone
else has figured this out. Thanks, I'll be looking in.

I roast or rotisserie 6-7 pound rosasting chickens all the time,
definitely don't lose half their weight, perhaps barely 1/3.

Slow cooked is tantamount to braised... what weight you lost was mostly
water (meat is better than 70% H2O), and fat (naturally if you discard
the fat instead of using it that's one's choice, years ago folks used
all that meat fat - years ago folks worked a heck of a lot harder - the
farmers around here don't need to watch their diets or go to a gym).
Bones in of themselves, especially poultry bones, contribute little to
weight loss from cooking. Most any braised meat will be reduced to
less than half it's raw weight... not ribs and other bony cuts but all
others. But you can't honestly claim you lost that weight because it's
now in the sauce you created.

When you purchase deboned cuts most of the higher cost is due to labor
(butchering)... takes time to trim and tie a roast. If one is a smart
shopper they will buy bone-in cuts and debone themselves, then the
bones and trimmings can be used to prepare very tasty dishes. This
week the Price Chopper stupidmarket chain here had bone-in center cut
pork loin on sale at 99¢/lb, I bought 15 pounds worth yesterday, spent
20 minutes trimming, deboning some, and repackaging... got a nice huge
roast, a mess of chops (9 biguns), and about five pounds stewing pork,
nice chunks that'll be used for braising and/or marinated for
grilling... bones will be used for pissghetti sauce. I even took a
picture of this package before opening... will post it in a week or so
when I have enough pics to download.

Sheldon

I just want to make sure you know how I'm thinking. Say you buy a whole
6Lb chicken on sale for .65Lb. If, and I say if you end up with
something like 3Lbs that you can eat
that means that you paid $1.30 a pound not .65 a pound.