How to butcher Skinning method Graphic pics

[bj taylor]

what a great thread & posts. i'm going to have to do some birds soon. I've never done any before & I will be doing it by myself also. I will be doing one bird initially & having to get water up to the right temp & doing the eviscerating is daunting when just the kill will be hard enough. this is how I want to do my first.

never having skinned anything i'm wondering if I have the correct knife for the job. can I use a good knife with a rigid blade or do I need a long thin skinning/filet knife that is flexible?

 

[Huntress78]

I find the fillet knife the easiest to use but that's been my 'go to' knife for as long as I can remember...I even use it to peel and cut up vegetables. I don't see why you couldn't use a sharp rigid knife. You may not get as close to the bones but if you like this method you could always invest in a good fillet knife later.
Let us know how it works out for you.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I used a rigid knife the first time and it is harder to get the entire breast fillets but did the job for the most part. The second time I used a fillet knife and I liked it better but it is not necessary. I agree with Huntress78 I wouldn't go out and buy anything new until you know if you like the method or not.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I am a avid hunter, fisherwoman and have processed many animals and fish. I like to use a short blade for more control whether it be a hunting knife or a filet knife.

 

[Huntress78]

Yup, I think it's all in what you get used to using.
No matter what type of knife the blade needs to be SHARP.
Chickens R Us, if you like a small blade for control, the next time you have to skin something try a scalpel. I've used them for years on everything from bear to moose and they can't be beat because the disposable blades are always sharp.

 

[flock4mebane]

i have considered getting meat birds along with my egg layers but thought it would be way too much work to do the butchering without my wife freaking out about the mess (she's a city girl and took convincing that she would have to do nothing for the chickens and my daughter and i would do all the work) but now that i see this post i am confidant that i could do this easy enough. great explanation and pics. after tending to my own deer and rabbits in the past i figured birds would be twice as messy.( i have developed a streamline way to skin and quarter a deer with little to no mess using a large trash bag, i don't use internals i donate them to a dog food company nearby). after seeing your post i am seriously considering meat birds in the spring. thanks so much for the detailed thread.

 

[spiffwilkie]

Thanks for the pictures and descriptions. We had a rooster that we needed to get rid of, but I was unable to find another home. I decided that last night was as good a time as any to learn a bit about processing chickens, so I used your method to take the legs/thighs and breasts. Everything went a-ok! Although, I realize that it's time to invest in a nicer knife.

Thanks again!

 

[Huntress78]

You're welcome.
When I cooked the legs from the last batch and took the meat off the bones I couldn't quit snitching...it was sooo good. You'll never get chicken that fresh from the grocery store.

 

[spiffwilkie]

You're welcome.
When I cooked the legs from the last batch and took the meat off the bones I couldn't quit snitching...it was sooo good. You'll never get chicken that fresh from the grocery store.

How do you prepare the meat prior to cooking? Brining and resting in the fridge? I'm not exactly a huge fan of chicken, but mostly that's due to my lack of knowledge in preparing it. I'm very good at ending up with dry meat. If I can learn some good technique, I might get a few meat birds next year to put in the freezer.

 

[Huntress78]

I don't brine. To me brine is salt water and any time you put salt on raw meat it draws the moisture out possibly making it dry when you cook it. Mine just rest in a covered bowl or zip loc bag in the fridge overnight. I then either freeze or cook. Did you mean marinade?

The meat I was snitching was the leftovers from making stock. I used the necks, legs and drumettes and simmered them with onions. After it was cooked I strained out all the bones and took the meat off. I then froze that cooked meat...I've already taken it out and used it in a casserole. Tonight I'm using the breasts in Chop Suey. I think skinless chicken does best with moist cooking...simmering, stewing, soup or baked with something moist like tomatoes or canned soup. I don't pan fry or oven fry skinless chicken as that seems to dry it out but I will grill breast meat cut into even pieces...like for shish kabobs...you just have to be careful not to over cook.