at 140, you should be able to drop your fingers in, and keep them there for a couple/1.5 secs. 180 is when you see your first bubbles making their way to the top of the water, and of course 212 is boiling. 140 is a real key, though. at 140, you kill pathogens, yet the temp is low enough to keep the chicken from drying out in ay way. Ive had people complain that the chicken is anywhere from "a little underdone" to "its ****ing raw, dude!" Sorry, but cooking for 40 mins at 140 negates their theory, Its a perception thing. No one is used to eating chicken breasts this tender. So it has an effect of feeling underdone.
best chicken breast ever. You can go above 140, with diminishing results as the temp gets hotter, because the protein strands in the meat sieze up faster, making the breast release its juices, and of course you can cook at 138 or so, for a longer period of time, but 138 doesnt kill potential bacteria. If you buy high quality chicken, dont sweat it.
Maybe Im just nerdy enough to get of on stuff like this, but messing around in a kitchen is as fun as superbowl sunday for me... Just slightly below an amazing bourbon, which is just below sex.
