Are these tough old birds?

[Mosey2003]

I really think that if you want fried chicken, raising broilers is simply the way to go. I hope to do a few next year if I have room. Do some early for fryers and then save a few back and baby them along for really big breasts.

 

[Birdinhand]

Thank you for this. It definitely gets me started.

you're welcome! once you get the hang of it you can vary the ingrediants as long as you stick to the correct amount of salt and sugar and stay mostly within spec with the water. I brine up to two CX birds at a time with this recipe and either way I will top up the water to make sure all parts of the bird are covered. you can use a plate and/or something heavy to keep the birds below the water level. always keep the birds close to but not below freezing... the resting and brining must be done at cold temps or you risk food born illness. you can strain out the veggies/herbs and use them for baking to impart aroma and flavor but they are spent at that point and won't be good for eating.

 

[Mimi13]

My target age for young cockerels is 23 weeks. I would not dream of frying or grilling them. Mom was able to fry an older bird and have it come out pretty good but I don't know her techniques. The bird was fresh killed, no time for rigor mortis to set up. Cooking involved a lot of lard and the pan was covered while cooking. I have no idea how hot the lard was. We grew up eating that so we thought it was normal. If you are used to the store bough chicken butchered at 6 to 8 weeks you would probably find it inedible.

Aging, brining, and marinading are three different things. You age a chicken in the fridge or an ice chest to let rigor mortis set up and go away.

Brining is when you soak it in some preparation, usually salt but some people add sugar or something else, to help it retain moisture and add some flavor. You can find different brining recipes on the net.

Marinading is when you soak the chicken in some type of acid, often wine or vinegar based, to help break down the tissue to tenderize it, plus add flavor. Buttermilk or beer works. You usually don't want to marinade too long or the chicken can get mushy.

There are all kinds of ways to cook a 23 week old cockerel. I freeze mine the day they are butchered but let them thaw in the fridge and set a day or so after they are thawed. Rigor mortis is not a problem. My preferred method is to cut the bird into serving pieces, then rinse them off but do not dry them. Then coat in herbs. I generally use oregano and basil as I grow that and put it up by the quart. Sometimes i add parsley or thyme. Use whatever herbs make your little heart go pitter patter. I do not use salt or pepper but you could. You could use garlic or onion. Then bake that in a pot that has a tight fitting lid in an oven set at 250 degrees F for about 3 to 3-1/2 hours. I use a slotted spoon to take it out. Be careful the meat might fall off the bone. That is not a typo, 250 degrees. Cook it slowly. I use a ceramic baking dish and find it to be an extremely easy recipe.

The liquid in the bottom of that pot is some of the best broth you can get. Do not throw throw it away. You might want to strain the chunks out and de-fat it.

I save the bones after this is eaten and use them with the rest of the carcass to make broth. I put a bay leaf, about a dozen peppercorns, a rough chopped carrot, celery stalk, onion, and garlic, and more herbs in a large crock pot and the bones and carcass in a large crock pot and cover that with water. I cook that overnight, usually 14 to 20 hours on the lowest setting. I strain that through a wire mesh colander to get the big chunks out, de-fat it, then strain it through cheesecloth before canning it. That broth is a lot better than anything you can buy at the store.

I also pick the meat out of the chunks from the colander. Be careful as it can have small bones in it. That cooked meat is great on tacos, chicken salad, or casseroles.

Hopefully others will give you detailed recipes on how they cook their cockerels, there are a lot of different ways to create a gourmet meal. If you try mine, come back and let me know what you think.

Good luck!

Oh my, just the information I was wanting (all of it), completely spelled out. Thank you, thank you. I definitely will try your method and let you know! Thanks again.