Why does the chicken from chinese restaurants not look the chicken I use in my kitchen?

Question

It just doesn't seem to pull apart like chicken and always seems to have a fatty layer around it under the sauces. It really grosses me out. My husband loves chinese but the chicken dishes gross me out by the way they look. Why does it look different?

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure it is boiled first. In most dishes i make with chicken at home i seldom boil then saute it. For instance if I'm going to use it in a wok, i cut the chicken in bite-size pieces and just saute it. For a restaurant that is trying to give you freshly made food the chicken cooking takes much longer than veggies so the chicken is pre-boiled.

Answer 2

sounds like you are looking at a duck..

Or is this just another Chinese slur..??

Answer 3

I agree with you on that, I remember once wondering if it was even chicken!  I think though they just use the cheaper cuts of chicken, like the leg, thigh, etc.  These parts of the chicken are fattier but cheap in price....that's what I figure anyway...

Answer 4

A lot of Chinese takeaways bulk up their food with tripe, and pass it off as chicken.

I know this as fact, a friend of mine worked in one.

Tripe is a lot cheaper than chicken and has similar consistency.

I don't mind tripe but if I want chicken, I don't want a tripe substitute.

So now I, inform the assistant or waiter, that I have a severe allergy/ intolerence to tripe and please ensure I'm not served it.

They are terrified of lawsuits it works for me.

Bon appetit from NZ.

Answer 5

Guess I'm confused as to which chicken looks different.

If the Chinese chicken looks different and has a thick fat layer under the skin, the leg bone is smaller/narrower, and the meat has a more chewy consistencey and more brown in color, most likely it's duck you're eating and not chicken.

If the chicken you eat at home looks different, and assuming it is indeed chicken you're having at the Chinese place, then it could be several things. Is your chicken firmer? They often use a small amount of baking soda in the marinades to help make the chicken more tender. Unfortunately, it also gives it a slightly off-taste and the fibers of the meat are shorter, therefore making it easier to chew.

The only other thing I can think of is that they are using chicken thighs, not breast, in the restaurant. This would have a lot more fat to it like you're describing.