Best way to cook an older rooster.

[Saffy]

Two of my roosters are getting very aggressive and it is time for them to go! They are about 1.5 yrs of age. Do you have any suggestions on how to cook theese older boys? Thanks in advance.

 

[antlers]

pressure cooker or boiled for soup.
Diced SMALL for chicken tacos isn't too bad either.

 

[Saffy]

This might sound stupid but how to you cook them in a pressure cooker? I have only used mine for canning? Thanks for the response.

 

[chickabator]

slow roast in oven on about 275 to 300 degree's ours was wonderful. we skinned him though so that might have made the difference. soaked him over night in fridge in ice water with salt then put him in the roasting pan the next morning.
he was about 1 1/2 years old my kids thought he tasted like a turkey

 

[flakey chick]

Quote:
Use a recipie with lots of liquid. The one exception is for chicken and rice, you only need enough liquid for the rice. Typical recipies start with browning the meat & maybe onions, adding other veggies- perhaps pasta or rice and lots of liquid (usually chicken stock). Then you bring it up to pressure and turn it down a bit so it is just slightly hissing. My version of chicken and rice usually takes about 20 minutes, but I use brown rice.

BTW, The word I've heard about cooking older birds is chicken & dumplings.

 

[smom1976]

I am also on the side of not having knowledge.. (only have ever bought store meat.. grew up that way) But at what age does it become "old" and what happens if you do cook an old bird like that? We are getting ready to get some chickens given to us, purging a flock. But we are going to butcher them and eat them.. is there a way to eat old birds other than soup.. we dont really do a whole lot of soups.. (bad memories as a kid)

 

[scooter147]

1976,
you can boil them and cut the meat up and make chicken salad.

I also make chicken pot pies out of them.

Here is how I make chicken pot pie, disclaimer, this recipe is from years of doing it and is from memory.

I take on stewing hen/rooster, boil it until I see the meat pulling away from the bottom of the leg.
I also cook raw carrot, celery and onion with it as well.
Remove the chicken and let cool so I can handle it to cut up.


I usually make three pies at a time. I make gravy from some of the stock from the bird I just cooked.

I then take the cut up carrots, celery, onion along with any other veggies i want such as corn, green bean, peas etc.

I then mix the cut up chicken, vegtables and season to taste. I usually season with salt and pepper of course, little galic powder and a tad of rosemary. As with any recipe like this us can season with whatever you like. I then pour my mixture into a store bought pie shell and remove another pie shell from pan and cover. Cut a few slits in the top pie shell.
I bake for about 30-45 minutes on about 350.

Quite good if I do say so myself

 

[MissPrissy]

An old rooster?

coq au vin

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=76891

 

[BettyR]

Gumbo...Talk About Good!!!

Grandma’s Chicken Gumbo

Make a dark roux with 2 cups of flour and some oil.
(You can buy ready made roux but homemade is the best)
Alton Brown has directions on his website on how to make a dark roux in the oven…most people don’t know how to make a dark roux unless they have been raised in a Cajun household.

1-1/2 gallons water
1 large hen (an old hen or a rooster makes the best gumbo)
6 chicken bullion cubes
2 pounds of good smoked sausage (Cut into bite size pieces)
1 large onion (Chopped)
1 bell pepper
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (leave this out if using smoked meat)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch parsley (chopped)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken in half and place it in a large stockpot with the water and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered for a couple of hours, or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone, remove the chicken from the pot place it in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Turn the fire off under the pot, allow to sit while chicken is cooling, all the fat will rise to the top.

With a large spoon skim fat off the top of the gumbo.

Pick the chicken off the bone and add it back to the pot and heat it through; season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can substitute just about anything for the chicken. Wild game works very well, squirrels, ducks, geese, rabbits, turkey, quail, pheasant. Just make sure to simmer it long enough to get it tender.

Serve over rice in soup bowls.

 

[Bornacentury2L8]