Good morning. Chicken thighs are a home-cooking secret weapon for delicious meals.

If you want to load up on high-quality chicken and other great cuts of meat, check out our favorite online meat dealer, Porter Road. More info below.

COOKING PROTOCOLS 🛠️

Three chicken thigh techniques

Advanced home cooks know multiple ways to tackle ingredients. Chicken thighs are a versatile protein that stays juicy regardless of how it’s cooked, thanks to its higher fat and collagen content. Here are three methods to try:

1) The quick method

Aka the mayo marinade technique:

Coat a boneless skinless chicken thigh in mayo + salt, then spices of choice (try Ethan’s favorite combo: oregano, red pepper flakes, & garlic powder).
Sear it in a pan until browned and cooked through.
Enjoy on a sandwich, salad, or over some rice.

Why it works: Quick, flavorful, and customizable with any seasoning. Our go to way of making one or two servings of chicken in a rush, although you could bring a bunch of these out to the grill.

2) The meal prep method

Aka the broiled sheet pan technique:

Chop boneless skinless chicken thighs into small cubes. Season with salt & msg.
Toss with oil & spices, then evenly spread it out onto a baking sheet.
Broil on high until lightly charred in spots. The chicken pieces should be cooked through by then.

Why it works: The bite-sized pieces are great for throwing into your meals all week — burritos, curry dishes, rice, salads, pasta, etc.

3) The fancy method

Aka the pan-seared & baked technique:

Skin-on is preferred here. Dry-brine the thighs with salt for an hour or overnight.
Set a carbon steel or cast iron pan over high heat with a drizzle of oil, and sear until the chicken & skin are deeply browned.
Throw the pan into a preheated 400°F/ 204°C oven and bake until the meat is cooked through.
- Level up → make a pan sauce from the fond & rendered chicken fat.

Why it works: Keeping the skin on adds texture contrast and doubles down on the chicken flavor, especially with an unctuous pan sauce.

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

Chicken thighs at work…

Once you’ve mastered the above three techniques, here are some great recipes to use chicken thighs in:

Cook the Collection

READER Q&A 🧠 presented by Porter Road

Underrated meat cuts

❝

Question: “Why do grocery stores only stock the same steak cuts like ribeye and NY strip? What happens to the rest of the cow?” - Britton L.

Answer: Supermarkets stock popular steak cuts like tenderloin, ribeye and NY strip because these cuts are in high demand, well-known to consumers, and simple to butcher off the animal.

The rest of the meat is processed into ground meat or sausages, which is faster and easier than carefully removing the harder-to-access “butcher cuts” left on the carcass.

Unless you have a great butcher, most of us consumers don’t get a chance to buy the special cuts that end up on restaurant menus.

There’s a reason why cuts like teres major, hanger, picanha, and bavette are a favorite among chefs: these cuts tend to have a deep, strong flavor with great texture and fat content.

If you’re looking to try some of these restaurant-grade cuts at home, we’ve partnered up with Porter Road, an online butcher shop that delivers high-quality meat directly to your door, including rare butcher’s cuts.

Porter Road employs skilled butchers who hand-cut all of their meat. They practice whole animal seam butchery — reducing waste while offering unique cuts you can’t easily find in the grocery store.

They also offer a wide variety of pasture raised, dry-aged beef, pork, and chicken products. Make an order this week, Sept. 29th - Oct. 6th, to receive our special Cook Well discount:

15% Off Your First Order

(discount automatically applied)

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Brioche crusted salmon

📸: Epicurious

Is brioche replacing the iconic walnut crust?

Another day, another way to cook salmon. Which is great — making slight variations in the kitchen is the best way to keep staple meals and proteins interesting.

Walnut-crusted salmon had a good run, and for great reasons — the nut topping provided crunchy, textural contrast, and something about the toasty, nutty flavors paired so well with the fish.

Among home cooks, the crust method is a favorite. It allows for hands-off cooking in the oven. No pan splatter, plus the insulating crust layer creates a thermal barrier that prevents overcooking.

Brioche-crusted salmon has all of those benefits, and then some:

The bread toasts into a similar, golden-brown & nutty layer, but with a pronounced sweet flavor.
The bread becomes crispy and light, instead of oily like nuts tend to.
It’s a great way to use up leftover bread. Even buying brioche is cheaper than nuts these days, which have experienced price hikes.
While you can make this with breadcrumbs, crusting each filet with a fitted slice of bread reduces messiness.

You know the trend is a winner when it originated restaurant menu developments instead of influencer home kitchens.

WINNING READER SUBMISSION 🏆

First place falafel

This week’s dinner winner is Fedor Z., who prepared an Egyptian-style (fava bean) falafel, homegrown tomatoes, and pickled cabbage salad, served with pitas + tahini yogurt sauce. Well done!