Chicken is tough and tastless

[Brooks_]

I posted before about a bad experience i had. Today, my culling was perfect. However, I clean the way I've seen in ever video. I ice bath, defeather, and gut. I let it rest. Then I cook it and get rubber meat. Like, ever single chicken has been close to inedible. What am I doing wrong? I've added photos of my cooking so yall can see i didn't burn it or anything

Certainly not over cooked

 

[BigBlueHen53]

When I get my dressed dual-purpose cockerels back from my Mennonite lady, she says to put them in the freezer right away, but I don't. I rest them in the fridge at least three or four days before either freezing or cooking, and they are always tender and delicious. The one time I did as she said, and cooked them right out of the freezer, they were tough and tasteless as cardboard. Very disappointing.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Yeah, basically what has been said above! I do believe even parted out you need to consider rigor mortis. I only started butchering last year, but let my birds sit in the fridge for 2-3 days just in case. I do believe their lifestyle, even young, is a factor, as in if they are running about and getting a lot of exercise, as opposed to housed in a confined space/coop/tractor, the muscle fibers toughen up too?

I think the meat you have packaged is still useable, just put in the crock pot or something. I’ve heard instapots and pressure cookers work wonders!

Makes sense as they let beef hang for awhile before butchering.

 

[Mychickshavepowers]

When I get my dressed dual-purpose cockerels back from my Mennonite lady, she says to put them in the freezer right away, but I don't. I rest them in the fridge at least three or four days before either freezing or cooking, and they are always tender and delicious. The one time I did as she said, and cooked them right out of the freezer, they were tough and tasteless as cardboard. Very disappointing.

I've done both methods. Freezing and refrigerating. Both are bad

 

[Mychickshavepowers]

Makes sense as they let beef hang for awhile before butchering.

Exactly! They're so muscular since they free range. But I let them sit for weeks in the freezer and I use a crackpot. Still just stringy and tough. I cant say its the chicken bresd because even then, something is wrong.

 

[Mychickshavepowers]

Certainly not over cooked

I use a thermometer?? So I don't think so. I don't have this problem with store bought

 

[3KillerBs]

Exactly! They're so muscular since they free range. But I let them sit for weeks in the freezer and I use a crackpot. Still just stringy and tough. I cant say its the chicken bresd because even then, something is wrong.

Weeks in the freezer doesn't count as aging. You have to age under refrigeration.

Even then a heritage bird will not have the almost mushy tenderness of a grocery-store Cornish X.