How to process a chicken (Urban Style)
April 7, 2010
Well, I got got a call today that one of our chickens were dead. A neighborhood dog killed it. The dog grabbed its back with his teeth and crushed the chicken’s little ribs. So the good news was the chicken was completely intact (with a few bite marks). Fabulous. So we made the best of it and planned to butcher it and eat it. We didn’t want it to go to waste. Thanks to our neighbor, Charles, who helped us out and did all of the work. We pretty much watched as he worked. Next chicken that we kill or gets killed, will be our first practice run. Here are the steps as I remember them:
- First you kill the chicken or have a dog or other human kill your chicken
- Then you tie its feet together and cut either side of its throat (find the jugular vein) and hang it upside down to get the blood out.
- After 15 to 30 minutes begin bringing water to a boil.
- Before it begins to boil, submerge your dead chicken into the water.
- Keep the carcass in the “not yet boiling” water for around 3-5 minutes.
- After the chicken is nice and wet, hang the chicken back in the tree and begin pulling the feathers out.
- Once all of the feathers are pulled out (every last one of them), you have to gut the chicken.
- First you need a really sharp knife.
- You first cut off the scent gland (right under their egg-laying hole).
- Next you cut off the head to loosen up any attached insides.
- After that you begin cutting into the orifice and begin pulling all of the innards out. Be very careful not to rupture the intestines or any other organ that may leak some nasty stuff out and flavor your chicken in a not so nice way.
- After some time, all of the guts are removed and you clean out the rest of the organs sticking to the sides (lungs, kidneys, etc.)
- Spray some water through the hollow carcass to clean out any unwanted bloody items.
- Now it is time to cut off the unwanted parts. You cut off the feet at the “knee” bone.
- From here, you can do what you want: Cut it into manageable pieces, roast it, bake it, fry it, etc.
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2 Comments
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This is not the way I wanted any of your chickens to leave this world! I am very sorry you were surprised by this loss, and will miss the ol’ girl.
The photographs and descriptions are very apt; thanks to Charles for volunteering.
A fitting obit for a fine bird, “This Wyandotte enjoyed a natural, free range life.” Though shorter than you expected, hers was a long, sweet life compared to commercially grown chickens housed in a crowded coop. Glad I got to see her and her sisters strut around your yard Monday afternoon. Bet she tasted as good as she looked.