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Tried the ice bath trick on a 40 lb case of chicken quarters and it saved my Saturday
Had a rush order come in Friday for 40 lbs of chicken quarters and my walk-in was already packed, so I couldn't get them cooled down fast enough for Saturday morning pickup. One of the old timers at the shop told me to drop them in a big tub of ice water with a cup of salt instead of just laying them on sheet pans. I figured it would waterlog the meat but I tried it anyway around 8pm. By 6am the next day they were down to 38 degrees internal and the texture was totally fine once they hit the grill. What used to take me overnight in the cooler now takes about 4 hours in the tub, and I've done it three times since without a single complaint. Has anyone else tried salt in the ice bath, or does plain ice water work just as well for you?
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xenagarcia27d ago
Salt in the ice bath is the real trick, the salt lowers the water temp below freezing so it pulls heat out way faster than plain ice water. Plain water works too but you're looking at 5 to 6 hours instead of 4 for a case that size. I've been doing this for years with whole birds and quarters, just make sure you keep the tub in a spot where it stays cold and don't let the water get above 40 or you're just soaking them for nothing. One thing to watch, don't oversalt it, a cup per big tub is plenty or the outer meat picks up a little brine taste. Also swap out some of the water for fresh ice every hour or so if you can, keeps the temp down and the meat comes out clean.
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