Best way to cook old hens?

[Insnesnakos]

We have a few old hens that are terrible towards the new pullets. We're thinking about eating them later this year. Does anyone have suggestions?

 

[Debbie292d]

I haven't done it with a really old chicken, but still, I'd put it in a huge pot, cover it with water, and add black pepper and celery leaves to flavor. I'd boil that momma for about 8 hours. Then let it cool, take all the fat and skin off, and use the meat for a chicken casserole or chicken soup, etc.

I have two old hens like this that were given to us several years ago and to be honest, I hate them so much I'd not even want to eat them. They are selfish mean pigs.

 

[NatJ]

We have a few old hens that are terrible towards the new pullets. We're thinking about eating them later this year. Does anyone have suggestions?

I would say the flavor is usually fine, but the texture can be an issue (tough). There are several ways to deal with tough meat:

Long, moist cooking (as described above) works.
I've read that a pressure cooker can give the same results in less time.
Chopping the meat into small pieces works well too (it can be chopped before or after cooking. Just be sure to cut it into thin pieces or slices across the grain, with whatever dimensions you want in the other direction.)
Grinding the meat would work just as well as chopping, or maybe even better.

Soup or stew works fine. Coq au vin is traditionally made with old tough chickens. Or if you debone & chop the meat, it works well in things like pot pie or chicken salad or tacos or any other place you would use cooked, chopped meat.

 

[South Dakota Guy]

I haven't cooked an old chicken but we like to marinate a whole bird in buttermilk overnight. Here is a link with several ideas. Tenderizing Chicken

 

[LTAY1946]

We will brine old hens over night and maybe longer and then put in a roaster for several hours before cutting them into bite sized pieces and adding enough water to a little more than cover and then add the dumplings with white pepper (black pepper without the indigestible black husk) and cook until dumplings are done on a low heat. Fixing to do some very big meat chickens that way. Hens over 15lbs. Roosters around 20lbs. A large electric roaster comes in handy doing two large birds at a time. Some will be frozen already cooked for a quicker meal when time is short for prep.

 

[Insnesnakos]

We will brine old hens over night and maybe longer and then put in a roaster for several hours before cutting them into bite sized pieces and adding enough water to a little more than cover and then add the dumplings with white pepper (black pepper without the indigestible black husk) and cook until dumplings are done on a low heat. Fixing to do some very big meat chickens that way. Hens over 15lbs. Roosters around 20lbs. A large electric roaster comes in handy doing two large birds at a time. Some will be frozen already cooked for a quicker meal when time is short for prep.

Lol. My hens are nowhere near that heavy! They're about 7 pounds. We'll just make some old bird soup this year. Like usual