how do you cook/prepare an older bird?

I'd suggest cooking them in a crock pot, taken them out of the broth whole when finished cooking the bones fall right out then you can use the meat for casseroles, fajitas, salads or just eat it plain.
I've found that its the legs and thighs that are toughest on roosters and old hens. the brest is usually just fine if you want to cut it off and cook it up separate.

 

make chicken and dumplings...or chicken and spanish rice....both of those involve cooking the bird in a pot for a few hours..so..it should help soften the meat up some..

 

All good ideas, especially the chicken and dumplings. My favorite. Just boil the bird in a pot until the meat is tender (I use Tex-Joy chicken tenderizer), then de-bone the chicken. Put the meat back in the pot when it has boiled to tender and add bisquit dough. I buy the homestyle bisquit cans at the store. Just the regular homestyle not the buttermilk. Pinch pieces of the dough off and drop them into the stock with the meat and let it cook until the dough is soft, tender and fluffy. Somewhere during the cooking, you can add salt and pepper to taste. Really simple recipe and taste good.

 

Quote:Cook it in a dutch oven untill tender and make chicken enchilades, they will love you until the left overs run out.

Steve in NC

 

I made enchilades with my older birds. Usually only the breast meat. Low and slow.

 

I cook them in a crock pot until the meat comes easily off the bones. Take out the meat, remove the bones, and use the meat in burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, tacos, tamales, BBQ sandwiches, casseroles, stir fry, pasta dishes, chicken salad, or whatever dish in which you'd use cooked meat. Sometimes I even make chicken and dumplings, or soup. Recently, I made some chicken-dip sandwiches, just like a French dip, only with chicken, and chicken broth for the au jus. It was delicious.

I use all the meat, even from the necks and backs. Once it's chopped up, if it was stringy, it's not noticeable.

Any broth remaining after the meat's gone, I freeze and save for stuffing, gravies, or anything else that might call for stock. Broth from older birds is amazing, dark and rich. Looks almost like beef broth.

You might also look up the recipe for Coq au Vin. I've never made it myself, but several folks on BYC have tried it, and gave it rave reviews.

 

for roosters > coq au vin. Here is my crockpot recipe (I buy mine from the market as I do not eat my own birds , which means I do not have blood for the recipe which if you do add a couple tablespoons to enrich the sauce)

Ingredients
1 cockeral (rooster), cut into pieces
marinade in 1/4 cup of olive oil, several leaves of fresh sage (only add a few sprinkles of crushed dried) and lots of fresh thyme (one tsp if dried) salt and freshly ground pepper and two onions sliced up. (put all in a baggie and refrigerate overnite). Before browning (see below) remove excess herbs and onions and discard. Remove excess fat/skin (only the excess you will want to leave on the "normal" skin

The next day after marinating:
Into large skillet:
dollop of butter
1/3 cup of diced bacon
8 small white onions
>>>cook off bacon until fat has released into pan (you will not want too high a heat > you need the fat in the bacon to cook off into the butter)... remove the now sauteed onions and bacon pieces to crockpot.

>>> Lightly Salt and brown off the chicken pieces (You want to crisp up the skin) and at last minute add 1/2 tsp dried thyme and one minced clove of garlic (you do not want to burn the herbs!)
.Transfer the browned chicken pieces to crockpot.

>>> Add two cups of red wine now to skillet and bring back to just at point of boil scraping all the gooey bits offf the bottom of the skillet. Turn off heat and add two dried blocks (or two tsp) dry chicken stock then pour this over everything in the crockpot. cover.
On low setting cook in crockpot for 6 hours.

Add 1/2 pound or so of mushrooms (whole or halved dependent on their size) that have been sauteed in butter to crockpot , mix through a bit and cook for another 1 hour. Remove all but the excess sauce and turn up heat to high and when it starts bubbling add enough cornstarch paste (one tbsp of cornstarch dissoved in a bit of water) to thicken to desired consistency... return pieces to crockpot and lower setting once again to low and serve within the hour.
I serve mine up with baby boiled potatoes in a big bowl or over rice on plate and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

 

I brined an older rooster for a couple of days and then cooked him in the crockpot--and he was right tasty. Butchering him gave new meaning to "tough old bird" though.

Erika

 

I cooked this chicken on the grill do to having a turkey and the rest of the baking in the oven. I put it in a roasting bag and put it in a pan to hold the liquid inside of the bag I used this recipe

2 tbsp. Western Grill’n Rub ( garlic and pepper)

2 sticks butter

1 lemon

1 red onion

1 bunch fresh rosemary (divided)

1 bunch fresh thyme (divided)

1 bunch fresh sage (divided)

2 cans chicken stock

1 1/2 cup white wine

In side of the roasting bag, add white wine and chicken stock in the bottom. Melt butter and chop up 1/2 of the fresh herbs and bring to a slight boil.

Clean and wash Chicken, pat dry. Salt the cavity, then stuff with halved lemon, halved onion and the rest of the fresh herbs whole, place the chicken inside bag and in pan. Pour the melted butter with herbs on the chicken. Tie the legs and tuck the wings under to keep moist.
I cooked the chicken at 350 degree until it reach
180 degrees body temp the chicken.