Chicken day
It doesn't seem appropriate to blog about my meat birds all summer, and then skip the final step: we harvested the last of our meat birds last week.
This process is not fun. It is, however, an important part of owning our food. Chicken day lets us say "Yes, we take responsibility of the meat which we eat." And I believe that's important.
I divide the process into two steps. The first steps happen out doors. Plucking, gutting - I think of these at the "dirty" steps. The scalding pot lets us pluck more easily, the coolers chill the meat until we can move it inside.
Chickens (like all living creatures) do not have bacteria in their muscles. So tell me - why do we ALL accept that chicken must be cooked until it isn't pink to kill the salmonella? It's because the process of slaughtering a chicken is so very hard to do at any speed without spreading the germs from the chickens large intestines everywhere.
Slaughter happens quickly but deliberately so I can make sure the chickens don't suffer any more than necessary. Plucking and gutting happen slowly and patiently- they're done outside so we can avoid spreading feces and make sure the meat going into the coolers is clean and safe. Also outside requires less scrubbing afterwards.
Once the birds are cleaned and in the coolers they look like giant rotisserie chickens - more like something you'd find at the store. We move inside now and butcher the whole roasters into halves and quarters, drums & thighs, boneless skinless breasts, stir fry meat, etc... We part out the portions down to sizes that are useful to us. Sharp knives and lots of towels are needed, but at least I can sit down now.
Once the meat is bagged and in the freezer there's still more to do. Chicken fat is rendered down to schmaltz. Leftover bones and meat are simmered down to stock and soup. I clean up and freeze the livers, kidneys, and hearts.
When you've put this much of yourself -your emotions, time, effort, and yes money- into raising 24 chickens wasting a single portion is very clearly unconscionable.
This post is originally from BeckyinVT. Feel free to comment and follow here or there.
This process is not fun. It is, however, an important part of owning our food. Chicken day lets us say "Yes, we take responsibility of the meat which we eat." And I believe that's important.
I divide the process into two steps. The first steps happen out doors. Plucking, gutting - I think of these at the "dirty" steps. The scalding pot lets us pluck more easily, the coolers chill the meat until we can move it inside.
Chickens (like all living creatures) do not have bacteria in their muscles. So tell me - why do we ALL accept that chicken must be cooked until it isn't pink to kill the salmonella? It's because the process of slaughtering a chicken is so very hard to do at any speed without spreading the germs from the chickens large intestines everywhere.
Slaughter happens quickly but deliberately so I can make sure the chickens don't suffer any more than necessary. Plucking and gutting happen slowly and patiently- they're done outside so we can avoid spreading feces and make sure the meat going into the coolers is clean and safe. Also outside requires less scrubbing afterwards.
Once the birds are cleaned and in the coolers they look like giant rotisserie chickens - more like something you'd find at the store. We move inside now and butcher the whole roasters into halves and quarters, drums & thighs, boneless skinless breasts, stir fry meat, etc... We part out the portions down to sizes that are useful to us. Sharp knives and lots of towels are needed, but at least I can sit down now.
Once the meat is bagged and in the freezer there's still more to do. Chicken fat is rendered down to schmaltz. Leftover bones and meat are simmered down to stock and soup. I clean up and freeze the livers, kidneys, and hearts.
When you've put this much of yourself -your emotions, time, effort, and yes money- into raising 24 chickens wasting a single portion is very clearly unconscionable.
This post is originally from BeckyinVT. Feel free to comment and follow here or there.