Cooking time for Meaties

[mtnhomechick]

I have 3 3.5 lb. stuffed meaties in my oven at 375 degrees........can anyone tell me how long to bake. Thanks

 

[MicMoo]

My DW, who has a culinary degree and used to work for Bon Appetite, would say you cook it "...til it's done".

Seriously, it's not the time that's important, it's the temperature. The USDA recommends cooking a stuffed bird until the stuffing's internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and the meat temperature reaches 180.

 

[menageriemama]

I like to cook mine until the thigh meat is 165 with an instant read therm. To get it so that the dark meat and white meat are done at about the same time, I start the bird out on it's side in the oven for 15-20 min at 400. Then I rotate it so that the other thigh and leg are on top for another 15-20 min. Then I put it breast side up for 15-20 min to get nice brown skin, and then I turn it breast side down for the remaining time to keep the breast moist and juicy. Once you rotate it the last time, turn down your oven temp to about 350. It is a bit involved, but the bird turns out perfectly!!! And keep a bottle of mustard by the oven in case you burn yourself like I do. I am a total klutz

PS Its always best to rest your bird in the fridge for a day or two and brine it for at least an hour before cooking it

eta: Hmmm, I didnt really answer your question. I do believe that it is 20-30 min per pound at that temp. Check it with a therm if you have one though, and be sure to check the temp of the stuffing. Nuke it if you have any doubt about it's temp.

 

[new 2 the coop]

My first attempt at putting a buff on the table was very bad. The bird seemed rather thin compared to store bought and the meat was so tough it couldn't be eaten. How do you make a brine and will the brine make it more tender?

 

[menageriemama]

The brine will make the meat more flavorful and juicy, and some say firmer. Resting the meat in your fridge will make it more tender, as will some kinds of marinade. The folks who know around here swear by buttermilk as a tenderizer. I dont usually do this, as my first meal from a bird is a roast, not fried chicken. Here is a brine recipe for a roasted chicken.

1 cup kosher salt (or 1/2 cup table salt)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 quarts cold water

Mix salt, sugar and water together until dissolved. Immerse chicken in brine and leave it there for at least one hour. Remove bird from brine, rinse well, pat dry and proceed with recipe for roast chicken.


The sugar helps to caramelize the skin of the bird and adds flavor.

eta: In your situation, I would first rest the meat for 2 days in the fridge. Then, the day of cooking it, I would pull it out and brine it for up to 4 hours. This way you SHOULD get a tender, flavorful and juicy bird

Another option is to put the darn thing into the pressure cooker or the soup pot and just let it go till its edible...

 

[crtrlovr]

Quote:
Never heard this about putting mustard on a burn before; does it keep it from blistering? (Assuming that so would just about anything else if it came directly from the refrigerator...) or is it the mustard itself that has healing/blistering preventing properties?? *sorry to hijack; just wanted to know this *

 

[menageriemama]

Quote:
Never heard this about putting mustard on a burn before; does it keep it from blistering? (Assuming that so would just about anything else if it came directly from the refrigerator...) or is it the mustard itself that has healing/blistering preventing properties?? *sorry to hijack; just wanted to know this *

Some think it is the temp of the mustard that has been in the fridge, others think it is one of the natural properties of mustard. I use it whenever I get a burn (which is often as I cook a lot) and I swear by it. The burn stops hurting right away, and I have had smaller burns just disappear after a good slathering of mustard. I love home remedies for little things...

eta:

Speaking of mustard, I love to mix up a good Dijon with some butter, herbs, salt and pepper, and rub that between the skin and the meat of the bird before roasting.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
When you brine your chicken, do you put it back in the refigerator or leave it on the counter while it's marinating?????? I dont want to get sick with a warm bird LOL!

 

[new 2 the coop]

Thanks for the brine mix and the info on refrigerating to tenderize.

Any idea of how to fatten them up. The one I tried was a Buff Orp and was right at 12-13 weeks old. In addition to being tough, he was very thin without much meat to him. Was he too young? They are all fed very good (24% feed + scraps, and scratch) along with having access to a small yard outside and lots of straw bales to peck through. Any ideas?

 

[menageriemama]

Ewesheep: The food police say that you should brine in the fridge. Period. That said, I brine on the counter unless I am doing it for longer than 3-4 hours. I use really cold water and the chicken is pretty cold as well. I also make sure that I cook the meat to the proper temp.

We have never had any problems with microorganisms yet.

New 2 the coop: Well, there have been lots of discussions on this forum about your question. My own opinion is that dual purpose birds are never going to be as meaty and mouth watering as a hybrid bird. I raised a dual purpose flock my first time, and was very disapointed by the results. If I am going to spend a lot of time and money raising chickens for some meat, then I want something that I can roast to perfection and be really proud of. An Orp is never going to be super meaty, no matter what you feed it. However, they are still tasty, and you can make the most out of them by resting and brining them. Lots of people here get good results with frying and grilling too. MP has some great recipes for fried chicken in that section

My extra roosters that I am going to process in the next few weeks will go right into the soup pot and cook until the meat falls off the bone. I just dont like to muck around with them, and I do not have a gift with fried chicken

(wish I did!!!)