Slow cooking questions

[ThracianHorse]

What everyone else has said. A day or two in the fridge works wonders. You can throw it in freshly butchered - there is literally no harm in that - but to get the best texture and flavor, let it sit covered, in the fridge for a day or two to get past rigor mortis. SKin on is preferred because it helps hold in the moisture and has fat that helps baste the meat. Skinless is fine, but put plenty of liquid in, or it'll be a dry bird. Brine at this point is optional (but tasty) and takes an extra couple hours to a day, and will help with the dryness if doing a skinless bird.

Never heard of the bleaching the actual bird, and I'm pretty sure there are dimensions to that that aren't safe for your average home butchering (Other than bleaching your equipment when done). Also pretty skeptical that other than equipment, people aren't treating the chicken meat with bleach - seems to be bleach in direct contact of food violates a number of raw-food safety clauses... Can we get a link to the documentary that says otherwise? (Some bleaching agents are said to be food safe. Just not bleach itself.)

 

[bbond]

I went ahead and put my bird in the slow cooker after a 5 hour ice bath. He’s gonna cook at least 24 hrs. Or until he’s tender. Saved his feet for bone broth later. Still need to remove his leg band and scald and peel the feet.

 

[Beer can]

(Other than bleaching your equipment when done)

If your using stainless metal, knives etc. , make sure you rinse well after. Bleach/chlorine is very corrosive to stainless. I should have known this, working in a dairy plant with stainless pipes and equipment everywhere. I about ruined a nice stainless metal meat grinder leaving it soaking in a pot with bleach water for way too long. Pitted it, still works fine but pretty dumb on my part.

bleach in direct contact of food violates a number of raw-food safety clauses...

I believe so. I think maybe BirdsBeesTrees may have been over exaggerating. I did watch on 'Food INC' that chicken processors do RINSE birds in a bleach solution (which I imagine is way less than 10x pool bleach) and a organic farmer had a hard time staying within legal state regulations in a open air butchering system with just clean water rinse, and his birds had no cases of salmonella where the big processors did even with bleach .
I said I work in a dairy plant. I've worked in all parts of it but know back in where I've been most milk intake , receiving bay. I have to have state certified licences. The one for taking the milk sample for testing for antibiotics and bacteria (fyi no milk or dairy that you buy has antibiotics in it, very stringent testing, not for you or I but for people that are deathly allergic to certain antibiotics)
I have to make sure that the chlorine solution that my dipper and thermometer is in is 200ppm, no higher. Dip it in the milk a couple times to rinse it off and then take a your sample for testing. Dipping it in 8,000 gallons of milk you wouldn't think 210ppm, 300ppm,400ppm would matter much just being whatever the residue is left on a drained stainless dipper, microgram maybe? I was told that's the reg for food safety . I could loose my licence/job if I don't comply and have more than 200ppm sanitizer in my container.

 

[ThracianHorse]

If your using stainless metal, knives etc. , make sure you rinse well after. Bleach/chlorine is very corrosive to stainless. I should have known this, working in a dairy plant with stainless pipes and equipment everywhere. I about ruined a nice stainless metal meat grinder leaving it soaking in a pot with bleach water for way too long. Pitted it, still works fine but pretty dumb on my part.


I believe so. I think maybe BirdsBeesTrees may have been over exaggerating. I did watch on 'Food INC' that chicken processors do RINSE birds in a bleach solution (which I imagine is way less than 10x pool bleach) and a organic farmer had a hard time staying within legal state regulations in a open air butchering system with just clean water rinse, and his birds had no cases of salmonella where the big processors did even with bleach .
I said I work in a dairy plant. I've worked in all parts of it but know back in where I've been most milk intake , receiving bay. I have to have state certified licences. The one for taking the milk sample for testing for antibiotics and bacteria (fyi no milk or dairy that you buy has antibiotics in it, very stringent testing, not for you or I but for people that are deathly allergic to certain antibiotics)
I have to make sure that the chlorine solution that my dipper and thermometer is in is 200ppm, no higher. Dip it in the milk a couple times to rinse it off and then take a your sample for testing. Dipping it in 8,000 gallons of milk you wouldn't think 210ppm, 300ppm,400ppm would matter much just being whatever the residue is left on a drained stainless dipper, microgram maybe? I was told that's the reg for food safety . I could loose my licence/job if I don't comply and have more than 200ppm sanitizer in my container.

Ouch on the grinder. Yeah, I know about the corrosive properties of bleach. I don't use straight bleach on my stuff as it would damage it exactly as you said. Lost a perfectly good filet knife to bleach-pitting a while ago. I typically water it down, never let anything soak in it, and make sure I rinse really well. I do a fair amount of game processing in addition to poultry, so I also try to avoid wooden-handled knives for butchery both for the bacteria harboring component, and also because wood will absorb bleach.

That milk testing sounds like it's both fascinating and terrifying. I always thought it would be interesting to do a rotating series of interviews on BYC with folks working in the poultry, dairy, and other farming industries.

 

[bigz1983]

Ok thanks for the info guys.
I think I will skin it, let it rest for 24 hours in the fridge and fill the slow cooker with enough water so it's submerged to keep it from drying out.
If it ends up being dry with this method I will leave the skin on for the next bird I butchure(old laying hens)
I really want to see if I can get skinless to work. I hate plucking feathers.

 

[Beer can]

I really want to see if I can get skinless to work. I hate plucking feathers.

Naked necks have half the feathers, big bald patches, they are more naked than they look the feathers cover up a lot. And no 'hair' to singe off. Lay excellent and make good meat birds.
Half the time I just skin them, soo much quicker and easier (I do love the crispy skin). Proper cooking methods keep them moist. Even on the grill, marinated and basted they are yummy (young birds).
I just use good seasonings dry packets. Usually mix one garlic and herb and one zesty italian together cause one doesn't make much. I get them cheap, boxes of 20 for around $5. Best to add a egg to the marinade, that's the secret ingredient that makes it stick awesome.
Couple places here make good bottled marinade also. Salamida's is the best, either state fair chicken marinade or spedie marinade. Lupo's is pretty good also.
Not sure how far they are available in store's. They both are made in Binghamton NY, the home of the spiedie.

Edit; I see they are both available through Amazon. Excellent stuff for chicken, beef, pork, lamb, venison, etc.

 

[ThracianHorse]

Ok thanks for the info guys.
I think I will skin it, let it rest for 24 hours in the fridge and fill the slow cooker with enough water so it's submerged to keep it from drying out.
If it ends up being dry with this method I will leave the skin on for the next bird I butchure(old laying hens)
I really want to see if I can get skinless to work. I hate plucking feathers.

You'll prolly have good luck with that young rooster. Maybe throw a can of chicken broth in the water so the water dosn't steal all the flavor. I'd throw in celery trimmings, carrots, onions, and some salt for good measure, too. For those old laying hens, I'd take a different approach. I'd say skin them out and remove most of the fat you can (fat will hold off flavors, specially in older animals) and find a slow-cooker version of coq-au-vin. It's delicious, It's tasty, it's a one-pot meal, and it works wonders on tough old birds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My target age to butcher cockerels is 23 weeks and I skin them. Be prepared for some connective tissue holding the skin on, have a sharp knife handy. They can be more challenging than skinning a seven week old Cornish X.

What they said about rigor mortis. If you don't cook it immediately I'd age it a couple of days in ice water in a cooler or the fridge, preferable totally submerged in water. I don't think you need to brine it the way you plan to cook it. The salt in brine adds some flavor but mainly it causes the meat to absorb water. That keeps the meat moister if you are going to cook it a dry method like grilling or frying but you are not.

I have cooked then in a crock pot but prefer them a different way. I cut it into serving pieces, then rinse the meat but do not shake it or pat it dry. You do not need to add any more liquid but you can a few tablespoons of water if you wish. I coat it with herbs pretty thickly, usually basil and oregano but you can use others if you wish. Thyme and parsley are great. I don't add salt of pepper but you could. You can add onions, garlic, just lots of ways to flavor it. Then I put it in baking dish that has a pretty tight lid to hold the moisture and bake it at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. That's not a typo, 250 degrees. Use a slotted spoon to take it out as there will be liquid in the bottom of the pan. Be a little careful, the meat might fall off the bone. The liquid in the bottom is a very rich broth.

There are many crock pot recipes out there, some call for submerged but some don't. Be a bit careful as some of those recipes are for the store bought Cornish X chicken. I'd stay away from any that call for cooking it on high. Your cockerel needs to be cooked slowly because of the age. Whether you submerge or not, any liquid is great broth but you might need to skim some fat off the top.

 

[NewBoots]

Naked necks have half the feathers, big bald patches, they are more naked than they look the feathers cover up a lot. And no 'hair' to singe off. Lay excellent and make good meat birds.

How are naked necks for a self-replacing meat bird? Will the hens brood and raise chicks?

 

[bigz1983]

Today I moved the coop the 22 week old buff orpington/barred rock cross cockerel was in.
I decided it would be easier to him free range with the old laying hens that stay in that coop with him while moved it. They don't ever free range normally.
While he was out a fox went after him.
It pulled out a few of his tail feathers.
I couldn't see any blood.
It he still ok to eat?
Can you get rabies from a chicken that was bitten by a predator with rabies?