tough meat

[jrsqlc]

the last 2 times i culled my roos, the meat was tough!
and the last time i took all my cornish rocks to the butcher, most of the meat was tough!
how do you prevent, or help to stop the toughness?
i was told to let the birds, after beening cleaned, to soak in a tub of water for 3-4 days before freezing.
i havent done that yet, but wanted to ask about it also.

also, my roos were only 8 months old, and they were slow cooked in the oven.

thanks for any help!

 

[Matt A NC]

After you process you really need to let them sit in the fridge for 4-7 days depending on the age and temperment of the bird.

Matt

 

[jrsqlc]

just set them in the fridge?
wrapped up or just on a plate?
how long per age? 4 days for a 8 month old bird?
what does the temperment have to do with it?

 

[urbanolive]

I wanna know too ! We culled 4 roos and they are just sitting in the freezer. I haven't wanted to cook them because I might ruin dinner with a tough bird! I heard you have to fridge them for a few days so the rigamortis (sp !?) goes away, if you eat them right away you are eating them all stiff from rig.

 

[chicknjane]

Thank you for asking this question. I had two roosters processed, brought them home and cooked them the same day. I was expecting this wonderful meal and I ended up with dog food. I just assumed it was my cooking. I just might give the whole meat bird experience one more shot.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Yes, you need to wait for the rigormortis to wear off after a few days. I heard about a week for everything to totally relax.

I always heard you needed to keep the chickens as calm as possible while butchering because if they became very stressed they would release hormones that could toughen the meat. I would suppose a chicken with a freaky temperment would have more of these hormones in general?

 

[Gonzo]

won't it go bad, just sitting in the fridge for a week?

 

[Matt A NC]

Quote:
We put them in freezer bags and out then in the Fridge. That way once they are ready we just transfer straight to the freezer. The "curing" can be done partly after you freeze the bird. Just let it set a couple extra days after it defrosts. The proteins in meat need time to start breaking down.

You can also let them sit in any covered container in the fridge. If you have plans to cook once the curing process is done, then you can also use this time to add in whatever marinade you like. Some just like a little lemon juice. Also the aciditity of the lemon will help break down some of the proteins.

The hormone that is released is adrenaline or it's equivalent. Aggresisive or just hyperactive birds can release alot of adrenaline and that will make a "leather" meat bird. This is also why you need to keep birds as calm as possible before procesing them. That sudden burst of adrenaline can make a bird useless, except to mince and make chicken salad or BBQ.

Matt

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:

you should'nt be so hard on yourself!!

 

[Matt A NC]

gonzo&hispeeps :

won't it go bad, just sitting in the fridge for a week?

In a normal temp Fridge a processed bird it will not go bad in a week. The limit would be around 10 days. Most can be eaten at 4 days, just plan ahead.

Matt​