Transcript ch12

Chapter 12
Understanding Poultry & Game Birds
Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Poultry is the collective term for
domesticated birds bred for eating.
Poultry is generally the least expensive
and most versatile of all main-dish foods.
Composition and Structure
The flesh of poultry and game birds is muscle
tissue.
• Muscle tissue is composed of:
• Water (about 75%)
• Protein (about 20%)
• Fat (up to 5%)
• Other elements, including
carbohydrate, in small quantities
• Muscles consist of muscle fibers held together in
bundles by connective tissue.
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Composition and Structure
Maturity and Tenderness
The tenderness of a piece of poultry is related to
connective tissue.
• Connective tissue increases with:
• Use or exercise of the muscle.
• Maturity or age of the animal or bird.
• Use or exercise is of less concern in poultry.
• Maturity is a major consideration when selecting
poultry.
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Composition and Structure
Maturity and Tenderness
• Young, tender birds are cooked by dry-heat methods,
such as broiling, frying, and roasting, as well as by
moist heat methods.
• Older, tougher birds need slow, moist heat to be made
palatable.
• Maturity is the major factor in categorizing each kind of
poultry (see Table 12.1).
• Skin color is determined by diet and is not related to the
flavor or tenderness of the poultry.
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Composition and Structure
Free-Range Chickens
Most chickens on the market are:
• Produced by large operations.
• Housed indoors in carefully controlled environments.
• Fed scientifically monitored diets.
• Free-range chickens are allowed to move around freely
and eat outdoors in a more natural environment.
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Composition and Structure
Free-Range Chickens
• There is no legal definition of free-range.
• Free-range chickens are considerably more expensive
than ordinary chickens.
• Many people feel free-range chickens are more flavorful
and worth the extra cost.
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Composition and Structure
Free-Range Chickens
Organic: Defined by the USDA as food produced
without using:
• Most conventional pesticides
• Fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or
sewage sludge
• Bioengineering
• Ionizing radiation
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Composition and Structure
Light Meat and Dark Meat
Chicken and Turkey
• “Light meat”: breast and wings
• Less fat
• Less connective tissue
• Cooks faster
• “Dark meat”: legs (drumsticks and thighs)
• More fat
• More connective tissue
• Takes longer to cook
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Composition and Structure
Light Meat and Dark Meat
Duck, goose, and squab
have all dark meat.
• The same differences
in connective tissue
hold true.
• Breast muscles have
more Myoglobin (see
next slide) and thus
are darker.
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Composition and Structure
Light Meat and Dark Meat
Myoglobin: A protein that stores oxygen for
muscles to use during periods of great activity.
• Dark color of dark meat is due to Myoglobin.
• Breast muscles of birds are used for flying.
• Chickens and turkeys rarely, if ever, fly; therefore, these
muscles do not need a great deal of Myoglobin.
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Composition and Structure
Light Meat and Dark Meat
Cooking Whole Birds
• A major problem in roasting poultry is cooking the legs
to doneness without overcooking the breast.
Cooking Poultry Parts
• Recipes take into account the different cooking
characteristics of each part.
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Chicken (Fr. Poulet)
• Most popular and widely eaten poultry in
the world
• Inexpensive and readily available
• Contains both light and dark meat
• Relatively lean
• Available fresh or frozen in a variety of
forms
• Extremely versatile
Chicken Classes
• Game Hen
– 5-6 weeks old
• Broiler/fryer
– 13 weeks old
• Roaster
– 3-5 months old
• Capon
– Under 8 months old
• Hen/stewing
– Over 10 months old
Purchasing Poultry
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fresh or frozen
Whole or cut up
Bone-in or boneless
Portion control (P.C.)
Individually quick-frozen (IQF)
Ground
Prepared and convenience items
Game Hen
• Young or immature
progeny of Cornish
chickens or of a
Cornish chicken and a
White Rock chicken
• Very flavorful
• 2 lb. or less
• Split and broil, grill or
roast
Broiler/fryer
• Young with soft, smooth
textured skin
• Relatively lean
• Flexible breastbone
• 3 lb. 8 oz. or less
• Can use any cooking
method
Capon
• Surgically castrated male
• Tender meat with soft
smooth skin
• Bred for well-flavored meat
• Contains a high portion of
light to dark meat
• Relatively high in fat
• 6-10 lb.
• Roast
Duck (Fr. Canard)
• Classes
– Broiler
– Roaster
– Mature
• Contains only dark meat
• Large amount of fat
• High percentage of bone
and fat to meat
• Roast
Goose (Fr. Oie)
• Classes
– Young
– Mature
• Contains only dark
meat
• Very fatty skin
• Popular at holidays
• Served with acidic fruitbased sauces to offset
fattiness
Guinea (Fr. Pintade)
• Classes
– Young
– Mature
• Domesticated descendant
of a game bird
• Has both light and dark
meat
• Tender enough to sauté
• Contains little fat
• Usually is barded prior to
roasting
Pigeon (Fr. Pigeon)
• Commonly called
squab
• Contains only dark
meat
• Meat is tender
• Contains very little fat
• Suited for broiling,
sautéing or roasting
Turkey (Fr. Dinde)
• Classes
–
–
–
–
Fryer/roaster
Young
Yearling
Mature
• Second most popular
category of poultry in the U.S.
• Contains both light and dark
meat
• Relatively small amount of fat
• Young turkey can be prepared
in any manner
Inspection and Grading
Poultry is subject to federal inspection and
grading.
• Inspection
1.
A guarantee of wholesomeness (fit for human consumption).
2.
Indicated by a round stamp.
3.
Required by U.S. law.
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Inspection and Grading
Poultry is subject to federal inspection and
grading.
• Grading
1.
Based on quality.
2.
Indicated by a shield stamp
and letter grade.
3.
Not required by U.S. law.
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Classification and Market Forms
The following terms are used to classify poultry:
• Kind: the species, such as chicken, turkey, or duck.
• Class: the subdivision of kind, depending on age and sex.
• Style: the amount of cleaning and processing.
• Live: almost never purchased in food service
• Dressed: killed, bled, and plucked (also rarely seen in food service)
• Ready to cook: dressed and eviscerated with head and feet removed
• Whole
• Cut up, or parts
• State of refrigeration: chilled or frozen.
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Handling and Storage
Fresh Poultry
Fresh poultry is extremely perishable.
• It should arrive in vacuum packs or be packed in ice
and kept in ice until used.
• Ideally, use poultry within 24 hours of receiving.
• Never hold it for more than 4 days.
• Poultry often carries salmonella bacteria.
• Wash all equipment and cutting surfaces after handling poultry
to avoid contamination of other foods.
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Handling and Storage
Fresh Poultry
Store frozen poultry at 0°F (–18°C) or lower until it
is ready to thaw.
• Thaw in original wrapper in refrigerator.
• Allow 1 to 2 days for chickens.
• 2 to 4 days for larger birds.
• If pressed for time, thaw in cold, running water in original
wrapper.
• Do not refreeze thawed poultry.
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Doneness
Large Roasted Birds
Internal temperature, as tested with a
thermometer, is the most accurate guide to
doneness.
• The thermometer should be inserted into the thickest
muscle of the inner part of the thigh, away from the
bone.
• The recommended safe internal temperature (see Table 2.5) for
roast whole poultry is 165°F (74°C).
• the more usual practice is to aim for a final temperature of
180°F (82°C).
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Doneness
Smaller Birds
When cooked by any method, doneness is
determined by:
•
Looseness of joints
•
•
The leg moves freely in its socket.
Clear juices
•
Juices inside the cavity of a roasted bird are clear yellow
rather than cloudy and red or pink.
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Doneness
Smaller Birds
When cooked by any method, doneness is
determined by:
•
Flesh separating from bone
•
Muscles begin to pull away from bones, especially breastbone
and leg bones.
•
Excessively shrunken flesh means it is overcooked and dry.
•
Firmness to touch
•
Test with finger pressure as you would a steak.
•
This method is especially useful for sautéed boneless chicken
breasts.
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Trussing Methods
Trussing: Tying the legs and wings against the
body to make a compact, solid unit.
• Trussing has two main
purposes:
1.
Even cooking
•
2.
Extended legs and wings
cook too quickly.
More attractive
appearance
•
Especially when
presented or served
whole or carved in the
dining room.
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Trussing Methods
• Place the chicken breast
up, with the neck end
toward you. Tuck the first
joint of the wings behind
the back.
• Press the legs forward
and down against the
body.
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Trussing Methods
• Pass the center of a
length of twine under the
hip bone just ahead of the
tail.
• Bring the twine up and
across the ends of the
legs.
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Trussing Methods
• Pass the twine under the
ends of the legs as
shown, and pull tight.
• Bring ends of the twine
toward the neck end of
the bird. Pull firmly on the
twine while pressing on
the breast portions with
the thumbs as shown. 35
Trussing Methods
• Tie the twine tightly.
• The stub of the neck holds
the twine in place,
preventing it from slipping
behind the back.
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Trussing Methods
The Trussed Chicken
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Procedure for Cutting a Bird in Half
1 Square up the
bird by placing it
on its back and
pressing on the
legs and breast
to create a more
uniform
appearance.
3 Lay the bird
flat on the
cutting board
and remove the
backbone by
cutting through
the ribs
connecting it to
the breast.
2 Place the bird
on its breast and
hold its tail
tightly with the
thumb and
forefinger of one
hand. Using a
rigid boning
knife and in a
single swift
movement, cut
alongside the
backbone form
the bird’s tail to
the head.
Cutting Procedure (cont.)
4 Bend the bird
back, breaking
the breastbone
free.
5 Run your
fingers along the
bone to separate
the meat from it;
pull the bone
completely free.
Be sure to
remove the
flexible cartilage
completely.
6 Cut through the
skin to separate the
bird into two halves.
The halves are ready
to be cooked; for a
more attractive
presentation, follow
Steps 7 and 8.
Procedure for Cutting a Bird into Pieces
1 Remove the
leg by pulling the
leg and thigh
away from the
breast and
cutting through
the skin and
flesh toward the
thigh joint.
3 To split the
breast, follow
Steps 2 through
6 for cutting a
bird in half. Cut
the breast into
two halves.
2 Cut down to
the thigh joint,
twist the leg to
break the joint
and cut the thigh
and leg from the
carcass. Be
careful to trim
around the
oyster meat (the
tender morsel of
meat located
next to the
backbone); leave
it attached to the
thigh. Repeat
with the other
leg.
Cutting Procedure (cont.)
4 The bird is now
cut into four
quarters.
5 To cut the bird
into six pieces,
separate the
thigh from the leg
by making a cut
guided by the line
of fat on the
inside of the
thigh and leg.
6 To cut the bird into
eight pieces,
separate the wing
form the breast by
cutting the joint, or
split the breast,
leaving a portion of
the breast meat
attached to the wing.