Chicken gizzard
Gallus gallus domesticus · Poultry
Top 10 pairings
The chicken gizzard is the bird's muscular second stomach (the ventriculus) — a dense, dark-red knot of smooth muscle that grinds food against swallowed grit. Chewy and deeply savoury, it is a prized offal cut, braised until tender, skewered and grilled, or breaded and fried across cuisines from the American South to Southeast Asia.
Picking a good onedrag
Cold, firm, almost odourlessOff: tacky or slimy, smelling wrong
Counter freshEveryday bestCook it any way, but don't rinse it. That splashes bacteria; only cooking kills them.
ColourHolding its colour, nothing faded
Touch the surfaceCold and moist, never tacky
SmellMild and clean, faintly fatty
These cues are Chicken's, and hold across its cuts; where this one differs, its own page says so.