Even the chain, franchise eating places are going down hill.

[ShavingPrimate]

but still no luck duplicating KFC

It's more about how they do it. You can find many copycat recipes on line. There is even one that claims to have the original written recipe. You can buy a spice blend from an online seller.

You start with a breading flour. For their original recipe, they add three packages. One is the spice blend itself, the next is salt and the third is a mixture of powdered milk and powdered eggs. Mix together.

The chicken is dipped in water then allowed to drain and then put in the breading tub. After the pieces are breaded, they are placed on shelves in a fryer basket.

Here is the part that they don't usually tell you about. The basket is placed in a pressure fryer, the lid is closed and the chicken is cooked under pressure.

After the chicken comes out and is allowed to drain, the chicken is placed on wire racks inside baking pans. These are placed in a warming box that has a pan of water for humidity at the bottom.

When they need chicken, a tray is removed from the warming box to a warmer on the order assembly line.

The extra crispy is a different seasoning mix. There is no egg/milk powder. After the first breading, the chicken pieces receive another dip in water and they get a second breading. The chicken is cooked in open fryers, not under pressure. This makes it extra crispy.

The main thing home cooks are missing is a pressure fryer. This cooks the chicken more quickly. The pressure helps the juices inside of the chicken and prevents the breading soft.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I used to like KFC but the chicken pieces seem smaller now days. I do Safeway cheap chicken Mondays and get an 8pc dark meat for $5.99.

The grocery store chains cook using pressure fryers. It is much more efficient. You get great pressure fried chicken for around $10 for a whole 8-piece chicken.

I just had on from our Food City. I like them because their chicken is moist and not hard fried. It is very sweet and juicy on the inside.

About half to a third the price of KFC and very similar.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

It also helps that my wife is from Germany and, I’m from Louisiana. That makes for some awesome cuisine! I realize that some people just don’t cook but, don’t rely on food chains for you source of nutrition.

Very fond of both. If something is made from a roux, count me in. Real Louisiana cooking might be my favorite cuisine ever!

About the single worst things with commercial restaurants is that they cook everything in low quality vegetable oil. This is the worst crap you can put in your body.

The only oil I use is Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Only use cold pressed oils for cooking. Vegetable based seed oils are processed at high temperatures using petro chemicals, bad stuff!

For deep frying, I use cold pressed avocado oil.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I may have mentioned this before, but I've never been to a Five Guys in my life.

I hadn't either before I got to Tennessee. You haven't missed much!

Their standard burger is made with two thin patties that they flatten more on the grill. Each patty is approximately 3.7 oz.

The only serve well done meat patties. "Cooked to a juicy well done".

You simply cannot cook a thin hamburger patty well done and expect it to have any moisture in it at all. You can with a thicker patty.

This burger was about $8, the last time I was there, which was a few years ago. That figured to $4 per-patty. A cheeseburger was a couple dollars more. That is $1 per-slice of American Cheese.

I understand that prices have risen a bit since then.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

Last time we went a burger, fries, and shake ran about $24 per person which seems high - or maybe I need to adjust my internal meter.

Your internal meter is functioning fine. These prices are insane!

Honestly, it is super-easy to make great burgers at home on your grill.

Or on your stove in a skillet. Not any different than 5-Guys. They use a flat top grill.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

Our teenage son creates 5Guys burgers for himself and his brother when my wife and I are out of town. We even have Takeout baskets and waxpaper liners to complete the experience.

He sends me the photos after he makes them.
View attachment 1813139

View attachment 1813140
View attachment 1813141

That's the way to do it.

 

[brucered]

That's the way to do it.

I've posted this one before but here is my take on a Wendy's Baconator.

Ground chuck with burger seasoning, no fillers. Local butcher made thick cut bacon. Local bakery brioche buns, butter toasted. Real cheese. Extra toppings to order. My butcher & baker are side by side and on my drive home from work.

Not a weekly thing but the kids ask for them every now and then.

Last DIY Fastfood picture, I promise.

Mine;

Wendy's:

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I've posted this one before but here is my take on a Wendy's Baconator.

Ground chuck with burger seasoning, no fillers. Local butcher made thick cut bacon. Local bakery brioche buns,.butter toasted. Real cheese. Extra toppings to order. My butcher & baker are side by side and on my drive home from work.

Not a weekly thing but the kids asked for them every now and then.

Last DIY Fastfood picture, I promise.

Mine;
View attachment 1813184

Wendy's:
View attachment 1813187

It used to be that places like Wendy's and McDonald's were fast, cheap and tasty.

Now they are none of the above!

Making burgers isn't exactly rocket science. More people should try doing it!

 

[Eric_75]

Wendy's:
View attachment 1813187

I've never had a Baconator from Wendy's. Wow, that is pretty sad looking.

Your DIY version looks excellent, Bruce.

 

[Eric_75]

I've passed many of these in my travels but I've never eaten at one. I have friends who absolutely love Whataburger.

 

[Bsamps]

I've posted this one before but here is my take on a Wendy's Baconator.

Ground chuck with burger seasoning, no fillers. Local butcher made thick cut bacon. Local bakery brioche buns, butter toasted. Real cheese. Extra toppings to order. My butcher & baker are side by side and on my drive home from work.

Not a weekly thing but the kids ask for them every now and then.

Last DIY Fastfood picture, I promise.

Mine;
View attachment 1813184

Wendy's:
View attachment 1813187

I’ll take yours over Wendy’s any day!

 

[cranewarrior]

I've passed many of these in my travels but I've never eaten at one. I have friends who absolutely love Whataburger.

View attachment 1813281

They were better before they were sold to a Chicago holding company. Post pandemic, they haven't declined as much relative to peers, but Whataburger is a far cry from what they once were.

 

[House Boy]

I may have mentioned this before, but I've never been to a Five Guys in my life.

Well IMHO you won't be missing much other than lots of bucks from your wallet if you try. I'm sure in your neck of the woods there are bars or pubs that serve great burgers and close to what 5 guys charge, plus the bars and pubs have great televisions. I get the best juicy burgers from these joints.

 

[House Boy]

I've passed many of these in my travels but I've never eaten at one. I have friends who absolutely love Whataburger.

View attachment 1813281

They're like whoppers on steroids.

 

[Bsamps]

Dinner… no fast food, no preservatives, no antibiotics, no artificial food coloring… just good, healthy food at home. The best thing about this meal, is that I know every ingredient that’s in it.

 

[Eric_75]

There's another burger chain with locations in NC, SC, AL, GA, KY, TN, VA, MD, and MS that I've also never been to but seen several times called Cook Out. Have any of you tried this one?

 

[DesertIguana]

Well I made mistake of going to KFC Friday, as friend had cupons, and I had cupon. We both ordered different items, mine was 5 pieces of Chicken Dark split Original & Crispy. He order three piece dinner.

This is my last visit to KFC as honestly could not tell Crispy for Original, it was very briny, aka VERY SALTY. The restaurant that was remodeled inside in last 2 month, was dirty inside as staff don't get it.

Had my first KFC in 1960's in Anderson, IN, it was great, only original was available back then, it was just cooked right, tender, juicy, and I ate there frequently until leaving Indiana.

KFC suffers from same problems that seem to be norm today many places, lack of staff that take job seriously, and owner who have so many locations, all they look at is spread sheet, to make sure they are profitable.

Another place off my treat at again list.

 

[Mojo88]

Well I made mistake of going to KFC Friday, as friend had cupons, and I had cupon. We both ordered different items, mine was 5 pieces of Chicken Dark split Original & Crispy. He order three piece dinner.

This is my last visit to KFC as honestly could not tell Crispy for Original, it was very briny, aka VERY SALTY. The restaurant that was remodeled inside in last 2 month, was dirty inside as staff don't get it.

Had my first KFC in 1960's in Anderson, IN, it was great, only original was available back then, it was just cooked right, tender, juicy, and I ate there frequently until leaving Indiana.

KFC suffers from same problems that seem to be norm today many places, lack of staff that take job seriously, and owner who have so many locations, all they look at is spread sheet, to make sure they are profitable.

Another place off my treat at again list.

My first real paying job was at KFC. I was a fry cook and you had to work your way up from making mashed potatoes and washing dishes to be a cook. We had an automatic breading machine for the original recipe ,it took a lot of practice and skill to be able to keep up with. The extra crispy was all done by hand.
Even as high school kids we took a lot of pride in being fast and working hard. I learned a lot about team work and improving at that job. They are coming up on the two busiest days, Easter and Mother’s Day.

And yes the secret spices are secret. They came in a nondescript bag mixed with flour. Years later when I was working for a contractor we were doing work in the facility where the secret recipe was blended. We had to sign a confidentiality statement and we were not allowed to be in the area where they were blending.

 

[DesertIguana]

Even as high school kids we took a lot of pride in being fast and working hard. I learned a lot about team work and improving at that job. They are coming up on the two busiest days, Easter and Mother’s Day.

Pride in job is lacking, customer service is lacking, when I find both, I return because it is a good place to return too.

 

[Mojo88]

Pride in job is lacking, customer service is lacking, when I find both, I return because it is a good place to return too.

Yep, I am always amazed when people take a customer service position and hate working with people.