Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[aart]

If I use a bag to brine, I usually put it in a cake pan, just in case.

I never brine, but use a bread or cake pan in fridge while resting and thawing...
..tho I've gotten much batter about packing bags without piercing them.

 

[jolenesdad]

I never brine, but use a bread or cake pan in fridge while resting and thawing...
..tho I've gotten much batter about packing bags without piercing them.

How come no brine? Is there a reason or a preference?

 

[aart]

How come no brine? Is there a reason or a preference?

Lazy/lousy cook.
But also, only have layer breeds here.
I either just salt/pepper the young ones for the grill,
or they go into pressure cooker.

 

[jolenesdad]

Lazy/lousy cook.
But also, only have layer breeds here.
I either just salt/pepper the young ones for the grill,
or they go into pressure cooker.

I thought it had to do with the pressure cooker. No need to waste the time if you pressure cook, I assume.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Good thing I have another round of Imperials coming this week. merry Christmas to me? Haven’t told my husband yet.

A new batch of Imperial Broilers sounds like a great Christmas present to me. Hurray, we get to watch as the new ones grow and progress is posted here.

I really like to follow along with the weekly weigh ins and follow up. And the great pictures!!

 

[aart]

I thought it had to do with the pressure cooker. No need to waste the time if you pressure cook, I assume.

Well, even when I do roast/bake meats, not often(except turkey parts, cause drippings for gravy)...never been a briner.

 

[Morrigan]

I started brining turkeys about 6 years ago and never looked back. With turkeys, they go into a (clean) trash bag and then into a cooler with ice on top. Chickens, I reuse the plastic bags that you put produce in at the market and then put it in a bowl in the fridge.

I love adding citrus and herbs to brines.

 

[igorsMistress]

..and how long the carcasses are rested with older birds.

Do you rest then freeze? Or freeze right away? I've read different opinions. So far we've rested 24 hrs in an ice water bath, then put in the freezer.

When learning about brining, I was shown a 3 gallon crock. Ceramic, wide mouth jar. Think moonshine bottle without the small top. These were used for pickling meats in brine. The ceramic is acid and salt resistant. Cast iron or other dutch ovens wouldn't hold up. The ceramic coated dutch ovens might work.

The meat goes into this and a plate is inverted on top and holds the meat below the surface. Whole thing goes into the fridge to hold temperature. Since I don't have a 3 gallon crock, I've used plastic (2 gallon) bowls with a plate over the meat holding it below the brine surface. Works OK, but the bowl is a lot shallower than the 3 gallon crock. Be sure to get all the air out from under the plate. Submerge the plate, then work out all the air.

Large ziploc bags sound easier. Mine usually leak. Sharp bone or caught on whatever pokes a hole. Do you put the ziploc in a bowl?

I put the big ziplock bags in the lid of my cake taker, zipper on top. It's deep because it's supposed to be able to cover a 3 layer cake, works perfectly.

 

[aart]

Do you rest then freeze? Or freeze right away?

Rest then freeze.
Freezing changes the meat...there was a chef on here for awhile who explained the intricacies, wish I had saved it. Will search for it.

Not as detailed as I remember.....couldn't find another post about it, but didn't look too hard.

The Rest is about getting the meat past Rigor before freezing. Rigor causes the muscle fibers to tense. Over the next 24-48 hours Rigor passes and it is ok to freeze the meat. If, you freeze Before Rigor Passes, Your meat will be tough and no amount of cooking will tenderize it.

 

[igorsMistress]

Rest then freeze.
Freezing changes the meat...there was a chef on here for awhile who explained the intricacies, wish I had saved it. Will search for it.

Not as detailed as I remember.....couldn't find another post about it, but didn't look too hard.

Thanks! I've been going to do a little research into this too so I'll look around the site here.