Broilers vs dual purpose for meat

[dichotomymom]

This was my second batch of dual purpose to process and I've found the only way to really get them tender is to slow cook them. I don't have any desire to brine as it just seems like it would be so salty (correct me if I'm wrong). For those who only raise broilers (or those who have eaten both), do you have any problems with tough meat?

 

[bigredfeather]

At what age are you butchering them?

 

[silkiechicken]

Broilers are usually always tender because they are usually 8 or so weeks old when butchered. Dual birds shold be taken around 16, 20 at most, if you want to eat the meat. Either way though, a fresh bird will have more texture and "tough" to it than a store bird, which can be "use by" something like 7 days post butchering.

Oh, and don't forget to let the meat rest for a day or two or any bird will be rubbery. You have to let the meat relax and break down from rigor mortis.

 

[dichotomymom]

Admittedly they were 2 years old but my first batch were only 4 mos and they were the same way. I will not buy dual purpose for the purpose of meat ever again but will continue to process my layers that don't lay anymore but maybe use them for stock only......

 

[silkiechicken]

2 years old is way too old for regular cooking, especially an old hen. I would try just one more time with extra roos that are 4 months old or younger and let them rest in the fridge for a few days. You can also soak in buttermilk to help aid in the relaxing of the muscles. A 4 month old roo processed and rested for a few days should be pretty tender.

 

[dichotomymom]

Buttermilk seems a lot more appealing than brining.....thanks! I don't buy straight run, so I usually don't end up with any roos or only a couple.

 

[silkiechicken]

Another thing I've heard to use as a meat tenderizer is a kiwi that you smash up into a paste and put in with the meat. Haven't tried that one yet though.

 

[bigredfeather]

Instead of a salt/sugar brine, you could try soaking them in a mixture of water and any type citrus fruit juice. The acid in the fruit will help to breakdown the meat. When I brine our Thanksgiving turkey, I use the juice from lemons and oranges. After soaking overnight, it produces a very tender turkey.

Just an option.

 

[Kim_NC]

We like to brine and do not feel that it makes the meat salty.

We do both types of chickens - broilers and dual purpose. Or maybe I should say we do "all three", because we butcher aged out layers at 2 1/2 - 3 yrs old as well.

Dual purpose roos are fine at 16 - 18 weeks. (They'll weigh-in around 2 1/2 - 3 lbs finished.) Anything older goes in a slow cooked recipe for me - or I debone them & can them for easy fast meals, meatpies, stews/soups and chicken stock.

All that said - I only keep cockerels from my own hatches of non-sexlink breeds. I never purchase straight run chicks unless it's the only thing available in a breed I want. I MUCH prefer broilers for meat, but we don't waste anything so the non-sexlink cockerels are raised long enough to get some meat on them.

It's a mattter of personal perference though. Others will tell you they like their dual purpose for meat and dislike Cornish broilers.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I'll take the dual purpose anyday for the taste.

Steve in NC