tough meat

[Gonzo]

Thank You! I've never done anything that fresh before and remember Grandma saying (with the store bought meat) after 3 days to toss it out!

Quote:
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

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Ya usually about 3 days is the max for aging chickens. It is best to keep them calm, I've always been a big believer in keeping animals calm before processing... the more stress they have the more endorphins the body releases. Who knows to what extent that may change the meat qualities. Anything that causes pain, excitement, or stress, can release these endorphins.... it basically gives the chicken a "high" It's mainly nerve pulses going to the brain.... then the endorphins are released to I guess block the signal so there is less feeling. I'm not sure how that directly would effect the meat but I bet in someway it does.

So in short... age them and keep them calm. Temperament is not usually a big issue, it's the testosterone that does it. The higher the testosterone... the more the meat will taste like rubber. So it's best to process before 24 weeks of age before they start getting into their sexual maturity stage.... where the testosterone in a chicken is flying high!

 

[fasbendera]

We process our own birds. We take away the feed the night before. We use the killing cone method, bleeding and not the head chopping and flopping method (head chopping method my grandma used and my parents used). After they are plucked they are put in a cooling tank. They are checked over for any feathers or pin feathers not taken off by the plucker and transferred to a different cooling tank. The feet are removed and they are gutted and moved to a third cooling tank. The final step is to be bagged either whole or cut up and then put in coolers and finally freezers. Knock on wood we have not had any tough birds yet. Our method has evolved over the first two years but we have the set up and processing technique that works for us. (The first two years we plucked by hand but we were lucky enough to have a friend who no longer raises chickens but has a plucker, but both ways have worked for us). I should mention these are Cornish X that we processed. I did process a few hens and rooster but they were older and I made them right into soup because of the age.

 

[Hozer]

I have done both cornish cross and layer roosters. I was dissapointed how tough even young roosters are and quickly realized they are for the cockpot (or perssure cooker) and not the oven. No need to pluck because you are not going to roast them...just skin them.

On the other hand, I fed my cornish cross cracked corn for 2 weeks befor I killed them and it was the best chicken I ever ate....roosters and hens.

I have yet to try caponizing...anyone try that?

 

[chicklips]

One more thing to remember, if you are worried about tough meat try a moist cooking method such as a crock pot. Oven roasting tend to dry out food a bit which will make a tough bird tougher.

 

[smith2]

I salt brine my roos 24 hours in the fridge and then freeze. When I take them out to use them, I thaw them about 2 days in the fridge, rinse, and use. I haven't had one so tough you couldn't eat it. My teenage son seems to be able to eat a whole bird by himself without trouble.

 

[dancingbear]

There must be about a hundred threads with info about how to cook older, tougher birds, and many, many different ways to use the meat.

Cornish X's will be tender up to around 12 weeks or so, they're usually slaughtered at 6-10 weeks. So it's no surprise that those are not tough, even without special treatment.

Others, heritage, dual purpose, mixed breeds of whatever kind, need slow, moist cooking. They have superior flavor, but you can't just throw them on the grill or in the skillet like a broiler.

8 months is not considered young for a meat bird. 6 weeks is what Cornish X are bred for, most home growers wait until 8 weeks, or 10 for roasters. Others are usually slaughtered no later than 25 weeks old, and even then, they'll be tough if you don't cook them properly.


ShellyB posted this link recently, http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...6IDZDQ&usg=AFQjCNGYDKv7dSFSe9PKxmxEaWbPE8PdgA ,it's a good read. Very helpful. Other than that, try doing a forum search on the subject of cooking older birds, or tough birds, you'll find a lot of useful info if you look.

 

[anthonyjames]

Well I will keep you posted on mine. I culled a 8 month old roo yesterday, let is set in a salt brine for 18 hours. Add salt, pepper and 1 cup of stock to the slow cooker and it has been in there for 4 hours so far. I plan on leaving it in another 3 and then chilling. I will then strip the meat chop/dice up and make pot pies with him tomorrow.

I will let you know if he is tough or not.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
AJ, 7 hours may not be enough. If it's not tender at the end of 7 hours, just leave him cooking longer. The meat will eventually get tender. Possibly not as soon as you might expect. Since you brined it ahead of time, I bet this will be one very succulent bird, if you let him cook long enough.

If the cooker is on low, it may take the first 4 hours just to really start cooking. I've generally set my crock pot on high, and they take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours. Many say they come out better on low, so I'm trying that next time. I'm guessing that a bird that might take about 7 hours on high, may take 12 or more on low.

And mmmmmm......pot pies......YUM.

 

[anthonyjames]

Well I fell asleep last night before turning off the slow cooker. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and thought oh crap. But when I went out the meat was just falling of the bones.

I made my mix and tried the bird. All I can say is WOW!! The flavor combined with the stock I made from the carcass and intensifying in the slow cooker was beyond what I have made before.

I have 3 pot pies in the oven right now.