News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Chill the chicken

Published: Oct 08, 2008 12:00 AM
Modified: Oct 08, 2008 06:24 AM

Chill the chicken

 

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By Kathleen Purvis, The Charlotte Observer Comment on this story
Q: I roasted a chicken the other night. I usually pull the meat from the carcass after we finish dinner, but that night I was tired, so I covered the entire bird and pan with foil and put it in the refrigerator. Is there some food safety rule that directs one to remove the meat from the bird immediately after cooking?

A: The rule on things like chickens is that since they are rather large and dense (dense meat-wise, although chickens aren't exactly smart, either), they cool rather slowly. That can allow bacteria to grow before the interior gets thoroughly chilled.

Any time you have a large, dense object that you want to cool quickly, it's best to break it down into smaller pieces.

However, if you let it cool to room temperature first, you can put it in the refrigerator whole with less problem.

That sounds counterintuitive, but the problem is in the contrasts. If the interior is hot and the exterior is cold, they meet in the middle and you can end up with lukewarm. Lukewarm with food is the danger zone, where bacteria thrive.

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Charlotte Observer Food Editor Kathleen Purvis answers questions about cooking and food each week. Send questions to KPurvis@charlotteobserver.com. Read more Ask a Cook Q&A at
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