FOOD NEWS
Overcooking This Cut Of Meat Will Actually Make It Taste Better
By Betsy Parks
Although undercooking chicken can make you sick and overcooking will leave you with dry and chewy meat, chicken thighs actually get better when you overcook them.
Chicken thighs have lots of connective tissue that dissolves as they cook, leaving behind fork-tender meat.
If you want to perfectly "overcook" your chicken thighs, go for gentle, moderate heat so all the connective tissue has time to break down into gelatin.
Braising thighs using a Dutch oven or on the counter in a slow cooker is easy, and you can just set a timer and forget them for a while.
You can also grill thighs — just cook them on the cooler area of the grill and let them slowly come up to temperature for the best results.
However, you still need a thermometer to cook chicken thighs because if it's cooked to more than 210 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll end up with dry and stringy meat.
The sweet spot for chicken thighs is between 175 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a little higher than the 165 degrees recommended for white meat.