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CHICKEN NUGGETS
Joe here, founder of Fry the Coop! We have EXCITING NEWS! We have officially launched Chicken Nuggets on the menu at every location!
This is a big deal as we don't normally add new menu items. We have a strong conviction to do one thing great and stick to it. However, chicken nuggets fall right into our sweet spot.
One year ago we had the idea and started testing recipes, and we're just now launching them.
So what took so long?!?! Well....
CREATING THE PERFECT NUGGET
There were so many factors to consider - white meat vs. dark meat, sizing, brines, prepping processing, frying times, testing, packaging, etc. Our goal was to make them great. Not good, not ok, not average, but great!
During one test run, we tried to utilize our wasted pickle juice. It makes for a great brine, and we were so excited to repurpose something that doesn't have much use. However, the nuggets turned a very dark color and they were too salty. So unfortunately it turned into a dead end. But it did help us get to that next step.
So after a year of testing, testing, testing, we finally found a great result!
CHICKEN NUGGETS
We are selling them in 6 pieces, 12 pieces, and 30 pieces (like a party pack). They are great for the kids, easy to eat and perfect with a dipping sauce.
For to-go orders, our pro tip is to get them as a little treat to eat in the car on the way home (don't tell your spouse! 🤣)
We believe they are going to be a hit! And we are still working on them. As an example, we still haven't found the perfect packaging, but we're working on it!
It's the little details that matter, and like everything, we won't stop until they are lights out perfect
So stop by a store and check them out! We think you are going to love them. And let us know your feedback - every piece of feedback is so helpful!
Beef Tallow Fries
We are very proud that we fry everything in 100% beef tallow! We have learned that there are a lot of people who do not know what beef tallow is or why it's so important!
So today, we thought we would share a bit about that:
WHAT THE HECK IS BEEF TALLOW?
Beef Tallow is rendered fat from cows that is used for cooking. It is one of the best cooking mediums, and it is a unique fat. When kept a room temperature, beef tallow remains pliable, almost like soft butter.
It has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying, especially at the high temps we use (and WAY better than industrialized seed oils at these high temps!). Historically, it's been used for thousands of years. It's also very sustainable, using the entire animal and letting nothing go to waste.
Plus, it makes everything taste good!
SEED OIL VS. BEEF TALLOW?
Oils became very important during the Industrial Revolution. Machines need lubrication, and oils and fats were commonly used as machine lubricants, among many other applications. But it was very expensive. Demand for cheap sources of oil was growing!
Then in 1911, they started marketing these oils as edible for cooking -- first in the form of Crisco, aka partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. With their success, soon followed soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil. But it was very unregulated.
Now, the majority of fried food (especially fast food) are cooked in these hydrogenated vegetable oils. It is NOW believed that these oils are bad for you, especially frying in them at high temps.
On the other hand, beef tallow is natural, rich in nutrients and vitamins. It turns out, our ancestors had it right all along!
BUT WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?
If you remember McDonald's fries tasting way better when you were a kid, it's because they used to cook their fries in beef tallow.
In fact, almost every restaurant did! With a mildly nutty flavor, beef tallow brings a hearty, savory, umami note to everything it's cooked with. It has a subtle flavor that brings a rich buttery taste to your food.
This year and every year, we are going to spend a lot of extra money on choosing beef tallow vs a cheaper seed oil. We believe it's a game changer for sustainability, flavor, health and taste.
It's worth every penny!
Also, it's not just about us. We're on a mission to get every restaurant to fry in a sustainable way! So we think it's worth spreading the word! We hope you can see the light too!
Thanks for following along our journey to spread some happiness! We're so grateful for the support and love we feel every day!
CHICKEN SHAPES AND SIZES
Sometimes we get asked: Did you change the size of your chicken? Why is my chicken a different size then the last time?!
The short answer is no! We didn't change the size of the chicken or skimp on your portion. The reality is every chicken is different, just like people. There are no two chickens that are the same!
We do order a very narrow spec of chicken breasts, meaning they should have a max of 1oz difference in weight.
But even still, it's different than making a burger patty out of ground beef, which can be the exact same size and shape every time. And since there is always going to be a difference, we thought we would take a moment to explain exactly how it works!
REAL CHICKEN
Our chicken is real. Grown in the south, and our chickens run free in open barns. Very important!! They come in all different shapes and sizes. Our chicken is organic in nature.
The chicken we get comes from small birds, 3.75–4.49 lbs in total weight. We get something in the industry called "Natural Fall," meaning the muscle is taken directly off the bone. There is no reshaping or resizing. The size is the size. Some pieces are larger and some are smaller. Back to every chicken is different.
Also, we've learned that when it's hot outside, chickens eat less, so they tend to come out smaller and don't grow as fast. This is also true when it gets too cold. But there are many factors that affect the size of our chickens.
SIZE AND SHAPE
We spec a very specific size of chicken breasts and tenders. Inside that spec is a variance. For every piece, there is a one ounce allowable variance - meaning that if we spec out 7oz breasts, there is a variance of 6.5oz to 7.5oz.
Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, so sometimes we even see below or "out of spec" like 6.2oz for example. If you see a 6.2oz breast compared to a 7.5oz breast, there is a HUGE difference!! Coming from the same farm, same case, but huge difference.
For sandwiches, not only does weight matter, but shape matters too. If I had a 7oz Natural Fall chicken breast, one might be flat and even all the way through, but another 7oz might look like a baseball, short and thick. The baseball breast would not work for us - but it might end up in our case. After all, it still weighs 7oz (in that situation, we would use it for something else, like Chicken Nuggets!).
Those might be the extremes, but there is a lot of variation in between those different sizes and shapes.
It's different than a cheeseburger, where you can shape the ground beef into any size at any weight. Make it perfect. With "Natural Fall" chicken breasts or tenders, you cannot reshape it. It is what it is, natural chicken.
And we do natural chicken!
HOW WE MANAGE THE PROCESS!
All of that said, it is our job to get our spec as close as possible to deliver an incredible experience at Fry the Coop! If we had a magic wand, every sandwich would be perfect! However, the magic wand store was fresh out!
So here's what we do:
First, our Prep Team cleans and inspects every piece of chicken, and we do our best to remove anything that is out of spec. Currently we go through about 50k+ pieces of chicken per week. That is a lot of chicken!!!
Then as a second line of defense, our Cooking Line Team is not supposed to serve anything outside of our spec as well. So we pull anything here that does not meet our standards.
But even after all that, there are some pieces of chicken that might slip through. Even if only 1% are off, that's still 500 pieces a week!
And there is nothing wrong with them, just they don't meet our preferred shape specifications.
Ultimately, our goal is to be as consistent as possible given it's a natural product - and to always give a great experience, every time!
Not all chickens are made equally. That is the beautiful part of chickens and a slight downfall at the same time.
We live in a world where everything is systematized and standardized. But there is beauty in imperfections! It's what makes Fry the Coop, Fry the Coop!
We are not corporate America, we are a small mom and pop shop that serves delicious natural double fried chicken! We like it that way, and we hope you do too!
We hope you learned something, and hope this was helpful! If your chicken is not the exact same size or shape as last time, just know it's all love!
Thank you for the constant support!