Chicken is tough and tastless

[Mychickshavepowers]

I posted before about a bad experience i had. Today, my culling was perfect. However, I clean the way I've seen in ever video. I ice bath, defeather, and gut. I let it rest. Then I cook it and get rubber meat. Like, ever single chicken has been close to inedible. What am I doing wrong? I've added photos of my cooking so yall can see i didn't burn it or anything

 

[BigBlueHen53]

When you say you let it rest, what exactly do you mean? Rest in the refrigerator? For how long? How old is the bird when you butcher? What breed? How do you cook it? For how long?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Are you cooking it the same day you butcher it?

 

[Mtnboomer]

Probably the age of the bird. Meat birds are butchered very young. You didn't mention the age.
There is a reason for the saying "tough old bird" only "old" is usually anything past 5-6mos. Supermarket birds are only a few weeks old.
When i butcher older birds, i save them for soup (most fantastic soup you'll ever taste) or cook the meat off to be chopped and used in casseroles, chicken salad, etc.

 

[Mtnboomer]

When you say you let it rest, what exactly do you mean? Rest in the refrigerator? For how long? How old is the bird when you butcher? What breed? How do you cook it? For how long?

All eggcellent questions.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I agree that age has a lot to do with how tough a chicken is. Old chickens are great for soup!!

 

[Molpet]

I rest at least until the rigor mortis has passed. Usually takes a day or two. Older birds require different cooking.

 

[ladybrasa]

Yeah, basically what has been said above! I do believe even parted out you need to consider rigor mortis. I only started butchering last year, but let my birds sit in the fridge for 2-3 days just in case. I do believe their lifestyle, even young, is a factor, as in if they are running about and getting a lot of exercise, as opposed to housed in a confined space/coop/tractor, the muscle fibers toughen up too?

I think the meat you have packaged is still useable, just put in the crock pot or something. I’ve heard instapots and pressure cookers work wonders!

 

[MissE]

You can let it rest after freezing. It's not as effective, but it works. Once thawed, let it sit in the fridge for a couple days.

Pressure cooking and slow cooking are good ways of preparing older birds, if that is the issue. You can also grind them, and use like you would any other ground meat. Canning works well, too, and the broth will be excellent in soups and stews. A jar of canned chicken with the liquid in the jar added to some carrots, onions, and celery and simmed until the vegetables are done will taste like soup you spent all day cooking.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You can let it rest after freezing. It's not as effective, but it works. Once thawed, let it sit in the fridge for a couple days.

Pressure cooking and slow cooking are good ways of preparing older birds, if that is the issue. You can also grind them, and use like you would any other ground meat. Canning works well, too, and the broth will be excellent in soups and stews. A jar of canned chicken with the liquid in the jar added to some carrots, onions, and celery and simmed until the vegetables are done will taste like soup you spent all day cooking.

This! Did this just tonight, in fact. Used thighs I canned several months ago, made awesome soup in a short time with minimum of labor, and, YUM.