Breaking Down Chicken
There is a lot of privilege involved in sustainable eating. While many environmentally conscious and economically frugal behaviors are exhibited around the world as practices that are simply normalized out of cultural custom or necessity, prices and availability of nearly every food vary widely around the world, the influence of social/cultural “normalcy” are incredibly powerful, and the opportunities people have to learn about their food systems are relatively limited. To be able to eat in a way that considers your health, the environment, your own ethical standards, and your financial condition, requires a ton of personal freedom and a fair bit of education regarding all of those factors. We make an effort on Grounded Grub to reduce our promotion of meat and dairy products for a variety of reasons, but we fully recognize that not all people feel they are able to go plant-based or plant-focused, and we also recognize that there can be a place for meat and dairy in a sustainable and plant-focused diet.
Within this framework, we still encourage people to think about their options—not all animal-products are created equal, particularly from environmental, ethical, and health-focused standpoints. While there are huge variations from producer to producer (we really emphasize this), chicken is one of the least environmentally impactful, healthiest, and most ethical meat choices. Additionally, since it's a small animal that can be raised in a small-scale manner, Chicken is one of the most abundant locally-sourced animals. That being said, most people are used to buying their chicken from large grocery stores that typically sell the chicken in vacuum sealed packages, pre-cut, and often packaged as a collection of only one part of the animal. If you are someone who eats chicken often or even just from time to time, we encourage you to try and buy your chickens whole. There are so many incredible advantages to doing so, and in this article, we’d like to share some of them with you!
Also, stick around through the end of the article for a quick guide on how to break-down your own whole-chicken, and how to use it (all of it) once you’ve done so!
So, “why?” you ask, “why would I buy a whole chicken when I could buy it pre-cut in a nice package?” Well, let’s break it down! (did you really think I was going to make it through an article without an awful pun?)
Its cheaper than the sum of its parts (typically)
If you factor in the amount of meat you get from the chicken, as well as the amount of stock you can make from the bones, the overall price is significantly lower than if you were to buy each item individually from a store (check out this cool link that looks more closely into this idea).The processing required for your package of boneless chicken thighs comes at a cost!
Remember that we’re not just comparing this to commonly packaged chicken parts, this extends to cold cuts and chicken salads, etc.
Huge producers often inject saline solution into the final product, an act supported by the claim that it will improve flavor, but ultimately ends up costing you more for the same amount of actual meat—you end up just paying for water!
Note: We pay less for meat than we should. Small scale producers don’t get the same advantages from the government (huge subsidies that end up paying for livestock feed) that other large producers in the meat industry receive, but the market has driven their prices so low that they have to keep them there just to compete.
You get the bones!
They are a huge source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, electrolytes, gelatin, and let’s not forget FLAVOR.
We so often buy chicken stock or bouillon cubes, but with the fresh bones we can get all of that for free, and we get to control the exact flavor of these stocks.
Remember, broth is not just for soups, it can be used as bases for sauces, to make pilafs, and so much more!
The sheer amount of food
Buying a full chicken can support more sustainable practices
When you buy the whole chicken, you’re reducing huge amount of shipping, processing, and packaging related emissions. Especially because some parts of the chicken are less desirable in certain parts of the country (dark meat for example), processing plants must often ship different parts of the same chicken to vastly different parts of the country where they are in greater market demand.
Additionally this is an awesome opportunity to support a local, small scale producer. These producers often prefer to sell their birds whole to avoid unnecessary packaging and ensure that the whole animal is put to use.
Creativity is endless!
There are so many things to do with all of the different parts of the chicken! You’re already steering the ship at this point so you might as well sail somewhere exciting!
“Ok you’ve got my attention. So if I’m looking to buy a whole chicken, what am I looking for?”
It depends how you want to cook it
If you plan on roasting the chicken whole (without breaking it down into smaller pieces), we recommend buying a chicken on the smaller end (2-3lbs) so that it cooks more evenly
This is a great opportunity to buy locally
If there are farmers who sell chickens raised on their farm at your local farmers market, strike up a conversation! Those small scale operations often produce more environmentally friendly, ethically raised, and healthier chickens!
If you are shopping at a grocery store, know your labels! (This portion is relayed from the Epicurious article listed below)
USDA Certified Organic indicates that the chickens ate organic feed, free of pesticides and antibiotics, had outdoor access, and were processed in organic slaughterhouses. However, the amount of time chickens actually spend outside is open to interpretation, LeFavour said. The USDA also regulates the “raised without antibiotics” and “no antibiotics administered” claims, requiring “sufficient documentation” from producers who use those labels.
Certified Humane and Animal Welfare Approved are designations by independent certifiers that ensure humane treatment and slaughter; the latter label requires access to pasture.
Free-range, natural and vegetarian fed sound ideal, but they're unregulated terms and largely meaningless. And if you see raised without growth hormones or hormone-free, guess what? Hormone use in poultry is already illegal.
Air-chilled : Defeathering a chicken requires a dip in scalding water and an immediate cool-down. The common practice for commercial birds is to chill them together in a chlorinated ice water bath. "So if one bird has bad bacteria, that can spread," LeFavour said. With air-chilled chickens, the dry environment greatly reduces the likelihood of bacteria spreading. Air-chilled birds, which will be labeled as such, also produce a crispier skin when cooked, LeFavour says.
From the farm: Chickens sold at the farmers' market may not have the USDA organic seal, but they were likely raised by organic standards and led truly free-range lives, running around eating grass and insects and such. For that reason, they also tend to be a "little leaner, a little tougher" than fattened up supermarket chickens, LeFavour said. When in doubt, talk to your farmer and ask them how they raise their animals!
Signs of spoilage: Get fresh chicken into the fridge as quickly as you can after shopping, and cook it within one or two days. Vacuum-wrapped chicken at the supermarket has a "use by" date that's pretty far out because the packaging prevents oxidation, but that doesn't mean you should leave it hanging out in your fridge for that long. "What I've found is you get that slimy texture," LeFavour said—a sure sign of bacteria at work. Ditto for odor. If it smells “strong or slightly unappetizing, don't use it," LeFavour said. Like fresh seafood, fresh chicken shouldn't have much scent at all, she said.
“Ok great! So now I have my chicken, how in the world do I cut this thing up…..?”
I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a strange experience to butcher a chicken for the first time. However, it’s incredibly important. Our inclination toward meat is fueled by so many things, but surely one of the largest factors is our separation from the source. When you engage more directly with where you food comes from, your appreciation for it increases. Handling chicken in this manner will teach you to respect it, remind you where it comes from, and likely incline you to treat it like the luxury that it is.
Check out our simple guide to breaking down your chicken below!
Before you get started, keep in mind that cleanliness when handling raw meat, especially raw chicken, is so important! That means making sure you’re using a clean cutting mat (we highly recommend a large cutting surface so that you can keep all of the juices and pieces easily contained), making sure you’re washing your hands before and after handling the chicken, making sure you’re sanitizing your tools before and after cutting, and making sure you clean down all involved surfaces well after you’re done. Speaking of which, check out our article about using reusable kitchen cloths instead of paper towels for kitchen sanitation!
Once you have your chicken in front of you, you’re going to want to start by removing the legs and thighs. Begin by cutting a small incision in the skin around the joint of the thigh, this well help expose the joint which you will then bend back and pop-out to expose. Slide your knife between that joint to easily remove the thigh from the body.
Next, cut a small incision in the skin around the joint of the leg, this well help expose the joint which you will then bend back and pop-out to expose. Slide your knife between that joint to easily remove the leg from the thigh. Repeat steps this step and the step prior for the other leg+thigh combo!
Next, cut a small incision in the skin around the joint of the wing, this well help expose the joint which you will then bend back and pop-out to expose. Slide your knife between that joint to easily remove the wing from the body.
Next, cut a small incision in the skin around the joint of the wing, this well help expose the joint which you will then bend back and pop-out to expose. Slide your knife between that joint to easily remove the wing-flat from the wing-drum. Repeat this step and the step prior for the other wing!
Next, stand the chicken up so the neck-side is facing the cutting mat. Carefully (these cuts happen very easily so it is easy here to accidentally cut yourself if you’re not careful) cut along the skin between the breast and the ribs. There is an avenue along this path that is fairly smooth to cut down, but if you need to break any bones to get through, its alright. This part of the carcass (as well as the breast bone) will be used for stock, so jagged bones are of no serious concern! Cut all the way down on both side and remove from the breastbone.
Next, you’ll remove the breasts from the breastbone. This part will require a lot of care with the tip of the knife, and some patience! Lightly scoring your knife along the ridge of the breastbone (between the two breasts), slowly cut the breast away from the bone, one pass at a time, using your other hand to gently pull the meat away from the bone. Your knife should be running along the breastbone the whole time until you eventually cut all the way down the bone. Repeat this step for the other breast. Finally, while you can leave it all intact if you’d like, the chicken tender is connected to the breast and can be found as a small, smooth strip attached to the breast. I prefer to cut this away, and then to halve the breast itself.
You’re done! You know have a full chicken cut into 14 pieces (2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wing-flats, 2 wing-drums, 2 breasts halves, 2 tenders), as well as a full breastbone and spine+ribs to use for stock!
Using Every Ounce:
The Meat : There are a million different ways you can cook the meat of a chicken. Shallow-fried chicken cutlets, shredded chicken tacos, chicken soup, the list goes on! We encourage you to get creative and get inspired. That being said, if you’d like to try something new and find a way to cook the whole in chicken in one shot, check out this recipe we made just for you!
The Bones : The bones of a chicken are a gold-mine of flavor and nutrients. We recommend slow-cooking them to make a soup stock! Simply add it to the other melange of vegetables and spices/herbs and you’re good to go! Want a recipe you can add it too? Check out ours here!