Chicken might be an economical ingredient and, if you enjoy making an oven fried chicken recipe now and then, that can only be a good thing. However, there is an even cheaper way to get chicken and that is to butcher and process your own. If you are squeamish, learning how to raise chickens might not be for you but, if not, read on for some helpful tips for butchering and processing your poultry.
The first thing to do is to hang several twenty inch long strings from a board and form slipknots at one end to hang the chicks from. You will need chicks that are at least six weeks old. Working with one chicken at a time, swing it back and forth. This calms the bird down and tranquilizes it. Hang the chick from the slipknot. Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
Cut the head off the chick with a very sharp butcher's knife and add it to a garbage sack. Let the bird bleed out for five minutes. Do not worry if it twitches after you have taken the head off - this is natural. Dip the bird into the boiling water for about six seconds. This makes the feathers easier to pluck.
Use your thumb and fingers to pluck out the feathers and add them to the garbage sack. Cut into the lower body and take out the guts. You can keep the liver, gizzards, and heart for fishing bait or for cooking. Cut each leg above the joint.
If you are butchering more than one chicken, you should put the fresh meat on ice as you work on the other birds. Cut the craw out of the chick's neck and rinse the body with water.
Wash the organs with water and put them in a container. Use a paring knife and your thumb to remove any quill ends or stubborn feathers. The bird should now resemble one that you find in the store.
Put the chick in a gallon Ziploc bag and cover it with water. Add a teaspoon of salt and seal the bag, making sure all the air is out. The salt will pull out any blood, which remains in the chicken. You can refrigerate the chick and cook it within two days or freeze it for up to six months.
Preparing the Bird for Cooking
Use your processed meat just as you would use it if you had bought if from the store. Before you cook it, rinse it well to remove any small bits that you might have missed before. Pat it dry with paper towels and put it on the cutting board with the wings spread out and the breast facing upwards.
Slide a knife from the wishbone to the cavity opening and separate the meat from the ribcage. Put the meat in a clean container. Extend the wing and cut through the joint to separate the drumette from the wing. Do this again at the shoulder to get the drumette off.
Pull the drumstick away from the bird. Press the bird at the hip and dislocate the joint to get the "oyster" of the thigh (a very succulent cut). Keep the carcass to make broth and use the meat to make fried chicken or any other recipe you want.
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