About to start butchering my first batch - Any advice?

[Oceanseve]

I've read up on it, but wondering what any of you might add? Any surprises or tricks you've picked up to help the process. We're aiming to get 5 done tonight, that's about all we can age in our fridge at once anyway. I'm a bit nervous about opening the body w/o cutting into something, hopefully I won't ruin more than one

Kinda surprised I thought I'd feel more concerned about the killing end of it, instead I'm worried about waste.

 

[tackyrama]

Hi , we've butchered several times and once you get going you wonder what all the worry was about. It's very important not to cut into the gall. It's the little greenish thing next to the gizzard. It will give bad taste. Also important to get all the trachea (where the food goes down) It will also give bad flavor. One more thing is once you get all the innerds out put right into ice water, this will make getting all the lungs out much easier. I am told by knowlegable people that these three things if not done properly will result in strong/bad flavor.

I let the meat age one day then brine for one day. It makes sense to brine them (1 cup salt - 1 gal water). The ones from the store are injected with a brine solution and are also rested. What it does is lets the meat retain more juice while cooking. I found out a local restaraunt's recipe for their famous delicious chicken. They simply brine their chicken overnight . My wife and I have been eating their chicken since before we were married (38 yrs) and it is by far the best chicken around.

 

[jaku]

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Just make a small cut in the body and tear it as wide as it needs to be. That way you won't cut anything you didn't mean to.

 

[Oceanseve]

So much for getting 5 done. We did one and it took about 2 1/2 hours.... course 1/2 an hour was toting it back and forth to get the scald right..... then 1/2 - 3/4 an hour to pluck the darn thing...... 1/2 hour to contemplate whether or not to take dear husband to the ER to get his hand stitched up...... and 1/2 hour to pull the thing apart and pray I didn't cut something I shouldn't....


There was a little bit of fecal seepage (not really feces, just some liquid) that came out as I was pulling the vent away. A very small amount but it did touch the exposed meat.... Did I ruin the bird or do you think we will be okay? I rinsed it off as quick as I could. The liver also got some on it as I was cutting the entrails apart - The liver sat in it for a little bit before I realized. I rinsed it too, but should I throw it out? I'm giving the liver and such to my grandfather, so I don't want to give him something thats tainted, I'll never live it down

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Awww, sorry for the difficulty you encountered. You'll learn a lot from your mistakes, and each time in the future you'll figure out how to improve your technique & procedures.

I too have had that "seepage" and just washed it away a lot with the hose I keep handy at the cutting table. I put my birds in a big rabbit cage up on the garden cart the night before, just giving them water but no food, not even grass they can pull through the wire. It helps them to have empty crops & intestines when I clean them out.

The plucking will go easier if you get a good scald, about 10 seconds in 140-150 degree water. I have a nice big stock pot I keep right next to the frame from which I hang my birds. I keep it filled with hot water from 2 other smaller pots I keep boiling water on the stove top. You could keep your scalding pot handy on the ground, or on a wooden bench, I use a wire milk crate. I have my teen son bring out fresh hot water as I need it, other times I've kept it hot over a propane burner or on the BBQ grill. No need for so much running back & forth.

The cutting & tearing method sounds like a good way to keep from cutting into the intestines. You could also use good kitchen scissors, to carefully cut through just the skin around the vent. I don't pluck the tail feathers & use them to get a good grip when I pull out the intestines. I cut through the tailbone below the oil gland & all around the vent, then grab the tail feathers & pull.

I hope Mister's hand heals quickly, I hope you all have progressively better butchering sessions. Enjoy your hard-earned meals!

 

[Judy]

Getting intestinal contents on the meat is not going to ruin the meat. Just wash it thoroughly in cold water, which I am sure you would do anyway.

The gall bladder is attached to the liver, not the gizzard. Snip it off with kitchen shears by cutting a bit of liver away to ensure you don't open it. If you do, a distinctly green liquid will come out, and that liquid (bile) will make anything it touches taste bitter.

 

[bheila]

It doesn't sound like your water was hot enough when you scalded. As far as the "seepage" on the meat, I'm sure you'll be fine since you rinsed it off right away. We've all had some poop on our meat when we first started butchering

Your first time butchering sounds like mine, minus the wounded hand on your DH. I hope his hand feels better

 

[tackyrama]

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I said gizzard, I meant liver. Thanks for the correction ddawn!

 

[Nemo]

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Not feeding them for the last twenty-four hours was going to be my suggestion. It definitely helps keep the carcass clean.

 

[Judy]

Glad to hear that, tackyrama! I was afraid you didn't know what the gall bladder looked like!

On the scalding, I kept reading 140-150 here. In the past, before I found BYC, I did not use a thermometer, just got the water hot and dunked. This time I got it to 150, dunked maybe 30 seconds, then picked it up and pulled on a large wing feather. If it slipped out without resistance it seemed to be the right amount of time, just like I read. Of course that still leaves those darn pinfeathers.

Got to find someone who knows how to pith, and learn how. It think it was Miss Prissy who recently said it makes them release their feathers. Wouldn't that be great!