plucking /V/skinning

[woodmort]

It depended on what I was planning on doing with the bird. If they were to be BBQed or stir fried--which is how most were cooked--they were skinned. I'd alway use a few of the bigger birds for roasting in which case they were plucked. Also as I processed more birds I just got to the point were skinning was easier and made less of a mess.

 

[Beekissed]

I portion out the bird in the manner in which I use the parts....so the skin was important to me this time, as I wanted to make chicken stock. I also saved the feet and legs for this purpose. For the birds I wanted to roast, of course, I left these whole.

I usually use breasts skinless and so packaged up the breasts in that manner. The thighs were left with the skin on for baking or frying. The rest was left with skin on for cooking down in the chicken soup stock.

I wouldn't normally eat the fat/skin on chickens from the store....but these were too pretty and so cleanly raised and processed that I wanted to save my skins.

 

[ga_goat]

Went out and re examined the whole flock found that instead of 2 I have 5 that need attention , went and found a small
( 7 gal ) cast iron wash pot with 3 legs and am going to chain it and put it on a swing arm to keep the water hot and will pluck ,, (wife's instructions ) she said pluck them ahe didn't say how or what in ,, all the prep is a little much for 5 chickens but there will be others .

 

[Chickiemama1010]

She wants them plucked because she wants the skin intact probably b/c she already has dinner plans. Its tricky at best to fry, grill, bake, roast or broil chicken that is skinless, AND keep it juicy. She may change her mind for the next round though once she sees how thick and rubbery skin on a backyard chicken can be, especially if its "old" (over 12weeks) and NOT a meat specific variety (ie: cornish x)

Our australorps were delicious, but chewy. They were 4 1/2 months old when they went to freezer camp. I had them plucked, but wound up skinning the carcasses after the fact since I had a terrible time cutting thru the skin to quarter them

 

[dancingbear]

Most of ours are dual-purpose birds, so they're a little older when we butcher. I like the skin on, regardless of how I plan to cook them. In the crock pot, it gets tender, and adds flavor and improves the texture of boned, chopped, meat. Fat isn't really a factor with the DP's, at least the roos, they're extremely lean birds. I'd never attempt to roast a skinless bird, it would just dry out. Older birds thighs and breasts can be skinned, filleted, and breaded and fried, they come out pretty good that way. When I do that, the skin I remove goes in the crock pot with the rest of the bird, the drumsticks, wings, backs and necks. There's a lot more meat than you'd think, on those parts.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I'm guessing she also doesn't have to do the plucking.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
I'm guessing she also doesn't have to do the plucking.

Maybe...but he's probably not the one that's going to cook these birds and try to render them edible, and it's easier with skin than without. It's usually a good idea to do what the cook wants.

He could always skin one and cook it himself, to see how it turns out.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I'm guessing she also doesn't have to do the plucking.

Maybe...but he's probably not the one that's going to cook these birds and try to render them edible,

Touché.

 

[jjparke]

I always skin and when I do I cut up the breastbone first then peel it off like a jacket.