Tales of the Domestically Challenged: The Ten Pound Bag of Chicken Leg Quarters

Approximately every other month our local grocery store has a SUPER DUPER AWESOME DEAL:

Northeast Ohio's Finest!

they charge anywhere from 59 to 89 cents for a ten pound bag of chicken leg quarters. This week they sold the bag for 59 cents (see picture at right) so a crafty consumer can get a bag o' chicken for $5.90.

No, it is not the most glamorous cut of meat but it's cheap which is a word David loves! While David is perusing the store's weekly ad he says: "You got to hit this chicken when you go to the store tomorrow!" like we are suburban rappers. Rolling up to the store in a four door champagne-colored used Kia sedan! Hitting things with our fat middle class cash and sticking to the meal plan!

The first time I brought the chicken home I shoved the whole bag in the freezer and shut the door with a satisfied nod. I was delighted to be a good housewife and make the chicken last a month or maybe even longer!


A few days went by and I didn't give the chicken another thought (my head too swollen with pride) until I was ready to use a few pieces for the next day's dinner. I transferred the bag to the fridge to thaw and closed the door with another satisfied nod. No one is going to starve! Not on my watch!

The next day I removed the bag, opened it (in the sink another lesson I learned the hard way) and realized I had created a monster: a partially frozen ball of bloody chicken legs that was in no condition to be on that night's menu. I was horrified and didn't know what to do so I panicked. First, I ran lukewarm water over the whole thing. Then I put on a pair of gloves and started chipping away at the clustercluck.

I managed to yank out three of the most thawed legs for dinner that night. For some reason my instincts decided to kick in at that moment and I realized I couldn't refreeze the rest of the meat. The chicken had to go back in the fridge to thaw completely and then be cooked the next day-something like ten legs.

You did what?! With my what?!

Then I fretted some more about the meat I was using because competent cooks and sane people know you aren't suppose to "cook" frozen meat.  I decided to cook it for longer than the recipe called for, prayed I wouldn't make us sick, and then proceeded to freak out until David got home.

During my panic I wandered over to Facebook to share my ignorance with my friends and family. Always a fun time! My cousins immediately responded with tips and hints for next time: "Did you submerge the meat in lukewarm water and add more water as soon as it got cold?" and "Next time freeze the legs bagged in smaller batches!"

When David came home I flitted around him relaying my latest tale of woe. He shook his head and looked at the cooked meat. He declared it done, we ate, and during the meal he imparted to me the second most valuable tip of the day: "This meat is cheap and not the best quality. That means you really can't "overcook" it. You can burn it though so be careful."

Since that inaugural bag o'chicken I have purchased many more bags and managed to divide and conquer! But I will never forget that first bag.

This is a cooked leg quarter. Ooooohhh! Ahhhhh! (Photos courtesy of morguefile)