Alternative to pounding chicken breasts?

Question

Making a recipe we haven't made in years of chicken breasts rolled with ham and swiss inside. But breasts have become so fat, I wonder if there's some way to slice them horizontally rather than pound them into submission. Any advice?

Answer

Yes. Butterfly/slice through and then pound them. I find that freezing the breasts, just enough to firm them up, makes slicing easier.

Answer

I always slice through breasts horizontally. Depending on what I am making and the time available, I may or may not then pound them. Pounding them gets a more uniform thickness and tenderness but it's not essential. We make quick-marinated chicken breasts on the grill often and for those I just slice, no pounding.

Answer

As the others have noted, Butterfly them to make them resemble a Heart. To do this, lay flat and cut from the rounded edge in and hold your knife horizontal to the cutting board. There is no need to pull out the mallet. You can cover the breast with waxed paper, or do what I do....use an old plastic produce bag or shopping bag. Sprinkle with a little water an use a small fry pan and give it a few gentle pounds. Another option is to do what a commercial kitchen does. Butterfly, then use the back of your Chef's Knife and tap across the breast diagonally using your knife's width as the guide. Repeat after a quarter turn from the other side back to create an *X* pattern. The added benefit of this is method is the meat will not curl.

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Alternative to pounding chicken breasts?

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