The Whole Chicken and Caboodle

And it is easier than you think!

Once you learn the skill of how to cut up a whole chicken, you will not only be saving a lot of money but also have more variety in your chicken dinner options.

Here are some more reasons to butcher your own chicken:

• You pay about a dollar less per pound if you cut up your own chicken.
• You automatically get different cuts of meat for variety.
• Using a whole chicken is so versatile and none of it goes to waste.
• You can freeze pieces for later if you are not using them immediately.
• You can use the carcass to make bone broth for chicken noodle soup.

Sold on cutting up your whole chicken now?

Great!

Here are some butcher tips before we get started:

• Use a quality knife. If you don’t have one, consider it a lifetime investment.  There is nothing worse or more dangerous than trying to cut meat with a knife that is dull and of low quality.
• Sharp kitchen shears are also very helpful for cutting excess fat quickly and efficiently.
• Make sure your chicken is not frozen. Only cut up fresh or thawed chicken.
• Pat your chicken down with paper towel to make sure it’s dry so you can properly grip it. You may need to pat again it later on.
• Have a clean, flat cutting board to work on. Make sure it’s secure and not slipping and sliding everywhere.
• Clean up thoroughly when you’re done. You don’t want to leave any raw meat bacteria hanging around.

Ready to get started?

Here is how to cut up a whole chicken step by step.

After completing these steps, you should have 6 pieces of chicken:

1. Lay chicken on its back, breast side up (remove bag with giblets if any).
2. Trim fat and skin on both sides of the opening.
3. Remove the tail piece at the opening of the chicken. Sharp kitchen shears are great for this step.
4. Cut each leg at the joint where the leg meets the body. It helps to start cutting through the skin and then snap the leg. You will hear a crack, so cut the muscle between 2 joints.
5. Cut the wings the same way as legs. You’ll notice there is a ball joint where the wing meets the breast (kind of like an armpit). It helps to wiggle it away from the body at first to get a sense of where you’ll start cutting.
6. If you want skinless chicken breast, pull the skin from the breasts using your hands (with paper towel helps grip) and separate from meat with the knife along the way. It should come off very easily.
7. Flip the chicken and trim skin the same way on the back. There will be more fat attached to the carcass under the skin. Trim it as well.
8. Flip chicken on its back again and remove the breasts. Cut each breast as close as possible to the middle of the center bone and along the ribs.

You are done! See that wasn’t so hard and with a little more practise you will be an expert!

Now let’s get those butchery skills to practise!

Your local Lococo’s has a great sale on Whole Roaster Chickens for $2.49 / lb.

And once you are done cutting up your own whole chicken, give this recipe a try: ZEG’s Oven Baked Chicken.

When you butcher your own whole chicken and use ZEG Sauces, everyone gets their own mouth-watering flavour! Enjoy!

Savour the Flavour!

🐔 ZEG Sauces are a multiple use condiment sauce that can be used on any food around the world.

🐔 You can use ZEG Sauces for basting, marinating, spreading, as a side dipping sauce, or as a dressing the options are unlimited.

🐔 Use ZEG Sauces on everything from chicken, pork, and beef to vegetables, rice, and tofu.

Click Picture for Recipe

Click Picture for Sale (November 2 – November 6)