Before cancer my favorite food, which I can not stand now such as red meats, as they are hard to swallow and dry

red meat is a challenge for me too.
here are some tricks that help me.

1) hamburger is sometimes better than steak
2) steak needs to be as high quality as possible, meaning the more fat the better and more tender.
3) do not over cook, med rare at most. or else it gets tough.
4) eat it while its hot.
5) use fork and knife to help with chewing, ie. cut a chunck then use each fork section to cut again... in the end, each chuck is cut 4 to 8 times. this saves chewing (your teeth) and helps you eat at a normal rate and with swallowing.
6) include other foods with the steak that are soft and juicy... mashed potatoes and gravey. tomatoes with sauce.. or salade with sauce.
7) time helps you heal and hopefully things will improve... if things are sticking, see if you need to have your esophogus streatched.

three cheers for eating read meat!!!

cu,
larryb

Larry's suggestion are right on the money, I might add that my first meat was a rare filet mignon (cool inside) cut into small pieces and it was quite delicious. Rib eyes have lots of fat, are tasty and always moist as well. I have had nothing but bad experiences with chicken since everyone overcooks it.

hey Gary,

here are some chicken things that i do that are moist.

on the grill.... thighs only.
get the charcoal hot.
place chicken on grill, fatty skin side up.
close lid.
let air in from sides and restrict it
going out the top.
there should be lots of smoke coming out the top as the baking chicken fat oozes thru the thighs and hit the charcoal.
>>>> do not over cook <<<<
when the smoke starts to subside, the fat has mostly cooked thru.
take the chicken off the grill.

it should be juicy. serve with something else that has a slippery sauce.
==============

oven style.

put 4 thighs in a pyrex baking pan.
add 1 cup of rice and 3 or 4 cups of chicken broth.
cover with foil and put in 350 degree oven for about an hour.

take out and serve with something else that has a slippery sauce.

what else we cookin?

i like your choice of beef.

cu,
larryb

Also try Baby Back pork ribs: Put ribs in a baking pan [cut them to fit] smother them [use lots, the sauce should be in the bottom of the pan also] in your favorite BBQ sauce [watch the spices if your mouth or throat is sore]Preheat the oven to 325, Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake at 325 for 2 hrs. This would work with beef ribs also, but I think they are a little tougher. By the way, beef short ribs can be braised very slowly in liquid and the meat will fall off the bone. Amy

I definitely agree with Larry's comments about beef. A couple of days after I finished treatment (when my mouth was totally fried), I was invited to an event at my brother-in-law's house with a great spread of food, including rare beef tenderloin. I tried to slice it into tiny, paper-thin slices just so I could get a sample of it -- I was so desperate to get at least a taste. As more time passed, I found I could generally get through a 6-8 ounce high-quality steak, medium rare, and enjoy it.

I also agree with Amy about slow-cooking things like short ribs so the meat falls off the bone (it also works with lamb shanks). The sauces help with the chewing and swallowing.

Cathy