guinea processing

[swampyacrefarms]

I was wondering what is the best way to process guinea's skinning or plucking??

 

[JLeigh]

I've never processed a guinea or a chicken, but I did some reading up on it (my processing turn will come I'm sure). Some say skinning is easier than plucking, but some like the skin left on for roasting. I'm going to try it both ways to see if I prefer to eat them with or without skin.

 

[PeepsCA]

I was wondering what is the best way to process guinea's skinning or plucking??

I've done both, but I don't really have a preference for one way over the other really, it all depends on how I plan on cooking the meat... skinning is faster, with less clean up, but I prefer whole processed birds for the crock pot.

 

[swampyacrefarms]

thanks, what is the best way to cook them. I am new to guinea's and have never tried them. If we like them I may get more..
By the way, how do you keep them of the porch?

 

[PeepsCA]

It's a good idea, how ever you process them to let them rest in the fridge at least a couple days before you cook them, that way the meat will relax and all the rigor is gone.

I usually crock pot the older birds on low all day (about 8 hrs) with lots of fresh chopped onion and garlic and several sprogs of fresh rosemary, then I'll add halved red potatoes and a bag of baby carrots a couple hours before I expect the meat to be done. By the time the potatoes and carrots are tender the meat just about falls off the bone after cooking all day. Every thing tastes great and the house smells reallllly good too. (This is my fav way to eat Guinea... and super easy).

For the whole processed younger birds most of the time I'll make some kind of yummy homemade stuffing then stuff and bake it like a roasted chicken or turkey (I bake mine in a small baking bag, helps keep them moist) and of course I make mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it. Some like to wrap their birds with bacon before baking to keep them moist. That's yummy too, and adds a little extra flavor.

If I skin them out, I quarter them up, marinate the meat a couple days in any good marinade (even Jack Daniels and BBQ sauce works

) and then cook it on the grill.

 

[PeepsCA]

Oh and for keeping them off the porch... motion activated sprinklers work GREAT, lol... or you can try giving them a few old mirrors out by their coops and their favorite dust bathing areas, they love their reflections.