JOIN THE DARK SIDE (OF CHICKEN). Well not really—chicken is a wonderful and delicious protein that is good and good for you. What I am referring to is the dark meat portion of the bird—especially referring to the boneless skinless thigh meat. It always seems to get the short end of the stick. Americans love the white meat. We are the only country in the world that likes the white meat more than the dark meat. Hence, we export almost 75% of the dark meat we produce. And when the other countries get mad at us and cut off exports—we are stuck with freezers full of dark meat. So, as the market demands—prices fall.
Chicken thigh meat pricing is at a 5 year low. It is an incredible value. But it is not only an incredible value—it is the most succulent part of the bird! Hmmm-succulent—does that mean it has more fat? You bet it does! A 3oz portion of breast meat contains 7 grams of total fat. Thigh meat has 13 grams of total fat. A 3oz portion of white meat has 170 calories while the thigh meat has 210 calories. SO WHAT! It is moist and has a great taste. For this reason, more chefs are adding dark meat to their menus and recipes.
Now when you go to the store to buy a steak for your dinner—- you certainly don’t pick one out that is blood red (like we used to do). You look for one that has marbling (fat) in it. That is where the taste is. So, why deny your taste buds of a great piece of chicken. Go to the dark side—you won’t come back!
George Saffarrans
CEO