Just processed our rooster. First time doingnit. Did I do it right?

[18Hens]

He was mean and he had to go. We killed him gently, with a razor to the jugular and let him bleed out slowly. then we scalded him and removed all the feathers until he was bald. Removed the neck and feet, then cut a slit in the abdomen. I sort of just reached in and pulled out all the innards until he looked empty. Then we rinsed him well, wrapped him in plastic and put him in the fridge.

Did I do this right? Is he edible? Any tips from this point?

Thanks!

 

[BCMaraniac]

He was mean and he had to go. We killed him gently, with a razor to the jugular and let him bleed out slowly. then we scalded him and removed all the feathers until he was bald. Removed the neck and feet, then cut a slit in the abdomen. I sort of just reached in and pulled out all the innards until he looked empty. Then we rinsed him well, wrapped him in plastic and put him in the fridge.

Did I do this right? Is he edible? Any tips from this point?

Thanks!

Sounds like you did it correctly! And a calmer experience than with my first one....I won't go into the details.

Sounds like he is most definitely edible. If he is an older rooster, I think you have to cook slowly, and marinate or brine beforehand(the meat gets stringy and tough with the older roos), which is why they often end up in dumplings. A younger rooster doesn't require quite as much preparation, but I think many folks brine. Google "coq au vin" and check out authentic recipes for an old rooster. which takes a couple of days to make.....I am going to make that one of these days.....I haven't had chickens long enough to have an old rooster!

The big thing to remember with any chicken that you process is that you have to rest it in the fridge for 2-3 days in a plastic bag to allow it to go through the stages of rigor mortis. If you don't, you will be eating shoe leather. You can test to see if the bird is ready to prepare when the leg moves freely. If rigor is not complete, the entire bird will move when you try to move the leg.

Oh....and don't forget to remove the oil gland on top of the tail....it is a yellowish looking tissue under the skin of the tail.....or just cut the entire tail off, which is what I do.. If you don't, the meat will taste NASTY!!