cooked a freshly culled bird...too tough, whats wrong and what to do?

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
Most third world countries do not refrigerate their meat and it never seems to bother them. Our systems are not used to it and it can make us very sick. But I have ate game in the field that was just hung in a tree until time to cook, and roasted over a fire it was always tender, and never got sick.

 

[silkiechicken]

By all means, refrigerate meat here if you're not used to it! A few extra days in the fridge will prevent that risk of getting sick. They didn't refrigerate things back in the day... the days where they would go chase down the cat if it stole dinner and then still eat it after it was chewed on.

 

[patandchickens]

One other thought -- did you literally 'boil' it up? Because older fowl are even worse than younger ones or other meat for more or less "vulcanizing" if actually boiled at all. You need to keep things at all times to just a mild simmer, especially in the early part of the cooking but it matters somewhat later on as well. Or you will get something really unchewable (although mincing it up can help render it somewhat more edible).

Better luck next time,

Pat

 

[da-cajun-angla]

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lemme see if i understand...ur saying if ur going to boil it, simmer it slowly for a lengthy period or it'll be tough right?

 

[da-cajun-angla]

Quote:
lemme see if i understand...ur saying if ur going to boil it, simmer it slowly for a lengthy period or it'll be tough right?

one more thing....thanks for making me feel stupid 4 having to google "vulcanizing"...lol

 

[dancingbear]

IMO, any bird older than 16 weeks (some say 20-24) is a only going to be tender if you cook it in a crock pot or a pressure cooker. If you cook it long enough in the crock pot, it'll get tender. If you have it in the crock pot overnight, and it still isn't tender, wait longer. It will get tender eventually. I've so far never had one that didn't become tender by 6 or 7 hours in the crock pot. I put mine on high, but many only use low. High setting on mine produces a simmer.

Marinating in buttermilk helps, too. Or yogurt. The lactic acid helps break down the tissue.

 

[ChooksChick]

Angela,

I'm interested in the brining- we do that a lot with our store-bought birds and the meat is like butter.

At this point I can't imagine ever eating my birds, but I'm still curious as to whether you get a good tenderness by suing the brine process. Keep us updated.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I mean, don't let it ever really boil (where the surface of the liquid is really rockin' and rollin', you know?)... never let it get above a simmer (where you have some small bubbles rising but a very small person in a tiny heatproof canoe would not be in any real danger)

Or of course as others have said there is the pressure-cooker option.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Chicken Fruit]

You can eat a chicken the same day you kill it. If it was over a year and a half old its probably tough from age.

 

[eschwaderer]

From the USDA website http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Poultry_Basting_Brining_Marinating/index.asp

Brining
The verb "brine" means to treat with or steep in brine. Brine is a strong solution of water and salt. A sweetener such as sugar, molasses, honey, or corn syrup may be added to the solution for flavor and to improve browning.

The salt has two effects on poultry, reports Dr. Alan Sams, a professor of poultry science at Texas A & M University. "It dissolves protein in muscle, and the salt and protein reduce moisture loss during cooking. This makes the meat juicer, more tender, and improves the flavor. The low levels of salt enhance the other natural flavors of poultry."

To prepare a brine solution for poultry, add ¾ cup salt to 1 gallon of water, or 3 tablespoons of salt per quart of water. For best flavor, use sodium chloride–table salt. Add sweetener if desired. Place brining solution in food-grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers. Totally submerge poultry in solution and store covered in the refrigerator. For best results, refrigerate at least overnight. Poultry may be left in the refrigerator up to 2 days after thawed or purchased fresh. Remove poultry from brine. Discard brine after use. If stuffing poultry, brine the poultry first. Cook immediately after stuffing.