Just Wondering

[mrsmartin2001]

Ok I didn't know where to place this question on the boards so I'll just post it here...

Ok yesterday I had to get rid of some of my roosters and by get rid...yep I mean kill

well I decided to go ahead and make some dumplings and I wanna know is the meat supposed to be so dark? I've never ate a chicken I raised before, but the meat is sooo dark it looks totally different from store bought chicken. Also it was sticky after it cooked...I wanna know if this is normal and is there anything I can do to make it not so dark...like soaking it before I cook it or something.

 

[spook]

Well, I would assume its the muscle color you are refering to. Meat is the color of meat. Use only the breast meat.
Poultry from the store isn't what I'd call a real comparisson. Those birds do not move to gain much blood flow or muscle mass. You have "happy" roos in this case, natural - perhaps not organic, but compare them to the breed they are to the same breed.
The sticky could be the dumpling flour (?) that is thickening it. I just dispatched my meat birds and yes they are a different texture of meat. Supermarket poultry is soaked in salt water brine. Try soaking your bird in a brine or butter milk as some suggest. It will help break down the texture but not the color.
Good luck and hope I've helped a bit!

 

[fullhouse]

Letting the meat rest will help with the texture. If you used EE roos, sometimes they do have some funky pigments, like silkies. Otherwise, it's just a happy roster. Dark meat is really dark on a "real" (non-cornish x) chicken!

 

[MissPrissy]

Eating your home grown meat is not like anything you can buy. Texture, look and taste is much higher in quailty with home grown.

Your birds have had a natural life. Walked around, ate bugs, seen and felt the sun. The exercise they get is one of the reasons the meat has color to it. Being able to use those legs and thighs, the blood circulation and the building of muscle mass darkens the meat.

The sticky in your fresh cooked meat is what makes the most awesome chicken stock - it will congeal on its own with proper cooking. You can't buy that quality.

I suggest letting the bird rest in your fridge 24 hous after processing. Then soak it in buttermilk or use a brine for another 24 hours prior to cooking.

Home grown is some of the best meat you will ever eat.

For the record - home grown pork is NOTHING like you buy in a store either - and neither is beef.

 

[mrsmartin2001]

Thank you for all your help...