An argument for Parboiling

OK, I understand the sneers people make when they think of boiled meats. It seems the height of unrefined cooking to rely on what is, perhaps, the most simple method one can employ in the kitchen. But with grilling season upon us, and the craving for barbecue sauce caramelized to the point of perfection atop a slab of ribs or a piece of chicken, it is time to reconsider that big pot of boiling water.
Parboiling, the act of pre-cooking meats so that you can finish them on the grill, has one attribute that makes it, to me, indispensable. It is a sure fire way to avoid that uncomfortableness you feel when the person across the table from you cuts into their chicken and asks, "does that look pink to you?" Few things will destroy a nice spring dinner like having to spring up, reboot the grill and cook into submission a piece of poultry that was plucked from the fire a little too soon. But there are other benefits to parboiling as well. While it may seen downright counter intuitive the fact is that things like chicken and ribs will remain more moist if the they are boiled for a short time, versus being grilled, flipped, flipped, flipped, poked, prodded, flipped, and then grilled some more. Parboiling can also be a tremendous time saver. What might take up to an hour on the grill, can be knocked out in about 40 minutes with the aid of parboiling. Finally, when it comes to barbecue sauces, you'll want to find that perfect temperature that cooks your glaze rather than burning it to nonexistence. So, parboiling allows a cook to focus on getting the glaze perfected rather than worrying about any salmonella that may be lurking near the bone.
But parboiling correctly requires a little bit more than a big pot and some clean H2O. It's important to take advantage of the process to add a little something to your dish. For me, when it comes to parboiling meats that I'll later be dressing with sauce, there are two things I always put into the water: celery salt and a couple of bay leaves. Essentially what this does is create a broth out of the water your're using to parboiling, so rather than boiling meat in water, you're letting it stew in it's own broth. This, for any skeptics, may help you get over that hump.
So, how exactly does one parboil using this method? It's simple. Take a large pot, like a pasta pot, and drop in your chicken or ribs. Add a couple bay leaves and a few shakes of celery salt. Fill the pot with cold water. Place on a stove on high heat. Wait until the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
When you are done, remove the meat, place on a platter, glaze with you favorite barbecue sauce and heat out to the grill to finish it up.
If you're feeling inspired you can then use the broth you've created to boil some potatoes for mashed or potato salad, or you can use it to make some rice. Or you can pour it right down the drain. It's all up to you.
Now, I know, there will be some people who complain that boiling the meat will steal valuable fat or will introduce the risk of over-boiling, which can leave meat dry. But if you give me the option of simple, safe, and delicious versus difficult, time consuming, and potentially leaving me with pink poultry, well, I say, boil away!

Comments

[Moose]

Very good advice