Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Toast n Jelly]

Do you let it rest for 2 days then brine for 2 more days? Can't seem to find the answer to that one. Would you freeze it after resting and brining or only brine (for how long) it when you're ready to roast it? Hope that's clear..

 

[Kassaundra]

I have limited experience, but only brine for 24 ish hours, and rest until rigor breaks then cook or freeze.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Bee-- that's quite a heavy story!!!

Chambertin-- I never thought to use alcohol!

 

[Chambertin]

Bee, you inspire me too.
Thanks for sparing me the cutlery

I'm no expert but I really prefer to brine after the freezer. The extra water will create more crystals that can piece the tissue causing more liquid to leak out in the thawing and cooking process. Some meat is tenderized this way, but its awfully dry.
I usually thaw a chicken from the freezer in brine.

Rigor is a chemical process and influenced by many factors.
If you are really into it, or just bored heres a long article all about chciken meat: http://www.poultryscience.org/docs/pba/1952-2003/2003/2003 McKee.pdf

Essentially it says that the more "white" meat the colder & quicker the better after slaughter.
The more "dark" meat the more a cold shock will affect meat quality, but it still seems to be better than natural 4-6 hours to clear rigor in a production environment. At home, its up to you I guess.

So I'll keep doing what I'm doing, if its not on the table tonight, its fast in the freezer till I'm ready.

 

[dutchbunny83]

How long can you keep a chicken you kill just in the fridge?
I was thinking a couple weeks since that's probably what it is at the store.
But then they wash theirs in ammonia and all kinds of grossness so I'm sure that prolongs the shelf life...

 

[jajeanpierre]

Feeding the offal back to the rest of the flock. Took a little extra time, but I spend so much effort giving them animal protein, and here was this free protein I was just giving back to the ground (burying in growing areas).

You feed it back to the chickens? Everything? Or just the organ meat?

 

[aoxa]

How do you larger processors chill a high number of birds right after gutted? I had a cooler but that is just not going to cut it for 25 birds. Can I rest in freezer until their temp has lowered quickly enough, or should the chilling always be done with ice and water?

 

[aoxa]

You feed it back to the chickens? Everything? Or just the organ meat?

I feed it back as well. Try it. It is so hilarious. They love eating their brothers and sisters

I feed back the hearts, livers, kidneys, lungs and sex organs (testicles and ovum). I'd feed back the intestines, but I haven't had them clean yet. They always have some fecal matter in them, and that's not something I care to clean out so I can feed back. I toss that. I save the legs and necks and the hand part of the chicken wings for the dogs. I'll freeze them and the dogs get to enjoy those over the winter.

After I quarter the chickens up (I agree it seems to extend the meals out of them compared to cooking whole), I boil the rest of it for soup.

The only part of the chicken not used is the intestines and head. My cat did get away with a head the other day...

 

[Kassaundra]

You feed it back to the chickens? Everything? Or just the organ meat?

The only things I buried this time are the heads, feet, and feathers. Oh and tossed the gall bladders and gizzard lining.

I know the feet can be used for stock, I tried that once and didn't notice any difference in the stock w/ or w/o feet so I just don't do that but it was pretty easy, skinning them.

I cut the stuff up so everyone could have a good share, and some of the bigger stuff like gizzard really needed to be cut. I did the intestines at the sink, I would cut off a nice big section and just express it's contents down the sink w/ my thumb and forefinger pinched across it and gently pull down to express it all. I don't know if it is ness. but I felt better about it. It does smell, but I work in the medical field so smells aren't that big a thing for me and didn't smell as bad as the fecal matter I deal w/ at work. I cleaned the inside contents of the gizzard just b/c I didn't want to dull my knife.

It didn't take that much time and they really loved it. It is something I will continue to do.

 

[lawatt]

Grandma's and forks are common.
Mine would touch it to her lips and if she had to pull it away that bird was plenty done. If she could rest it there without a thought, back in the bird went.

A trick I use on chunks of random meat (also no skin) is to start the oven high like normal then back it of 50 to 75 degrees after about 15-20 minutes. This helps the meat get a little bit sealed up then slow cooking to preserve what moisture is inside. Honestly the fat doesn't do much in my opinion, its the moisture barrier that the skin provides naturally that has the greatest impact on the meat. Another reason salting the meat or brining does such a good job with any, but double so with skinless meat.
The other really important simple trick is to let the finished product rest for at LEAST 20 minutes before you cut it. Otherwise lots of flavor and water just floats away as steam.
So many good turkeys get a poor death because they are carved immediately out of the oven.

After you get comfortable you can use the tricks together and take the bird out when its still not quite done cooking and cover it or bag it and let the last bit of cooking happen in its own juices... Yummy!
Those oven bags really cant help much except for those last few minuets and contribute to a poor quality gravy if used for the whole session.
Although if you are going to whiskey or cognac soak the bird they do help those flavors stay in because the alcohol cant escape as easily.
Ahhh

real pan dripping gravy, left in the fridge to get the fat out and then reduced...

I need a farm chicken NOW!

butter UNDER the skin (not on top of it), that's my trick for a fabulous roasted chicken... (although these are "just" store-bought free-ranger organics, haven't processed any of my own yet)