Free Cornish X - Worth it??

[Darin115]

I raised a batch of cornish x birds in November and December. Had them processed at 7 weeks of age. My buddy raised a batch at the same time except he never killed them. They have been growing for 5 months.

Tonight I called to see if he had killed them yet and he said no, come get them. He is offering them to me for free.

My question is, are they worth butchering at 5 months? Will the meat be too tough?

I just got 16 Cornish X chicks today and should have another 15-20 next week. They are 5 days old. Local schools hatch eggs in class. Local chicken companies donate the eggs. The schools tried giving the chicks away to the kids but being Cornish X chicks they don't live very long and the students are heartbroken when they die so they started giving them away to the local feed store to be sold to people that know what they are getting.

The feed store sells them for $1 a piece. I snag all of them as soon as they come in. I go to church with the owner. He makes a $ on the chicks and I buy feed from him. We both win.

I hate to get the chickens and process them and the meat not be very good when I have 30+ to put in the freezer in 8 weeks.

Thoughts??

Darin

 

[Erica]

Hi Darin,

absolutely they're worth it, but not with the usual methods of cooking. I've kept cornish x to this age many times and when the end comes I always mince the meat and use it to make Asian style patties (spring onions, ginger etc) or chicken meatballs. Otherwise you could slice the meat off and store it in a freezer for pie fillings or perhaps thinly pulverised for chicken schnitzels (anything where you break the fibres and also add a lot of moisture or oil).

If you mix leg/breast together and add some fat to any large breast sections as you're mincing, the results are better for things like patties. Otherwise the breast meat will be too dense and tough.

Perhaps if this sounds too hard and you have other plans it might be best to pass on them...

cheers
Erica

 

[Totalcolour]

Well, if yo have a Sous-Vide (water bath cooker) they are absolutely worth it. I bone, stuff, and roll the meat in the skin, vacuseal it, and cook it on low heat for about 12 hours. Then chill. It's really wonerful sliced for salads.



OR, bone (leave lower leg bones in) as above and cook it in a low over. This is what you'll end up with.



Plated - you can see the stuffing. Also, a bone bird is easier to carve!

Hi Darin,

absolutely they're worth it, but not with the usual methods of cooking. I've kept cornish x to this age many times and when the end comes I always mince the meat and use it to make Asian style patties (spring onions, ginger etc) or chicken meatballs. Otherwise you could slice the meat off and store it in a freezer for pie fillings or perhaps thinly pulverised for chicken schnitzels (anything where you break the fibres and also add a lot of moisture or oil).

If you mix leg/breast together and add some fat to any large breast sections as you're mincing, the results are better for things like patties. Otherwise the breast meat will be too dense and tough.

Perhaps if this sounds too hard and you have other plans it might be best to pass on them...

cheers
Erica

 

[hydroswiftrob]

Well, if yo have a Sous-Vide (water bath cooker) they are absolutely worth it. I bone, stuff, and roll the meat in the skin, vacuseal it, and cook it on low heat for about 12 hours. Then chill. It's really wonerful sliced for salads.



OR, bone (leave lower leg bones in) as above and cook it in a low over. This is what you'll end up with.



Plated - you can see the stuffing. Also, a bone bird is easier to carve!

What time's supper?

 

[Totalcolour]

Too late - it's ALL GONE! And you couldn't smell it from there?
​

 

[booker81]

I would take them in a heartbeat!!!

They'd probably be a LOT bigger, more than one would like to roast, but even at 5 months they would lend well to any of the slow cooked type things - and if you process them yourself, you can just portion out the meat into meal sizes and freeze.

Totalcolour - recipe - stat!! Please???? What did you season with, what's the stuffing? TOTALLY want to try this with some of the big birds I end up with!

 

[Totalcolour]

Totalcolour - recipe - stat!! Please???? What did you season with, what's the stuffing? TOTALLY want to try this with some of the big birds I end up with!

Okay, well I can''t take Total credit; here's a link to Jacques Pepin, boning a chicken, and stuffing it. I just changed the stuffing in mine a bit

For mine, I lined the inside with spinach leaves before putting the stuffing in. Basically the stuffing was spinach, mushrooms, celery, a bit of sourdough breadcrumbs, salt and pepper (almost the same as Jacques').




The glass of wine is essential when making this kind of dish!

 

[booker81]

Thank you! I just watched the video, I'm totally going to try this!

I almost want to try this for Thanksgiving as well - I hatched some mixed breed turkeys for processing later, and I think this might bode well for a non-broad breasted turkey dinner!

 

[Totalcolour]

Thank you! I just watched the video, I'm totally going to try this!

I almost want to try this for Thanksgiving as well - I hatched some mixed breed turkeys for processing later, and I think this might bode well for a non-broad breasted turkey dinner!

don't try it!

Try this instead - it's the most incredible way to make Turkey!

Part 1

Part 2

DDon't miss part 2, as it shows the complete turkey and the cranberry thingy is divine. I did this last Thanksgiving and EVERYONE was impressed! (I'm doing it again for Easter, I saved an extra turkey for this very purpose)

 

[Beekissed]

Totally worth it! My niece did this and gave me the birds at 6 or 7 mo. and they were wonderful. Not quite as tender as the younger birds but the meat was great....we had a summer party and BBQd the whole lot after marinating for a few hours. Folks raved over the taste and meat tenderness.