alexist

"I'm not late, I'm chronologically challenged."

They're looking at meat raising methods.

Interestingly, they're ignoring a big part of what affects the taste of chickens: post-slaughter handling. When Cooks Illustrated tested chickens, they found that kosher ones tasted better. They were curious as to why and found that kosher chickens are handled differently--cold water only, hand de-feathering, soaked and salted. The hot water used in most commercial plants means that the chickens absorb water and become mushy. The salting tightens up the texture of the meat and makes it firmer. If you brine a regular chicken, the texture improves noticeably.

(As it happens, Empire, the biggest producer of kosher chickens, prides itself on treating its chickens well and not using hormones. But I find that British kosher chicken tastes the same and I have no idea how they're raised.)

(Sadly, the same can't be said for kosher beef, which is all from young cattle, forequarters only, and the salting doesn't improve the texture of beef. Might explain the Jewish love of braised brisket.)

(getting annoyed at Raymond Blanc now--I oppose factory farmed chicken, but come on, comparing it to poulet de Bresse?! Most of us can't afford to pay £20 for a chicken. I pay about £3/kg and that's expensive enough...)