Lesson 7 - Preparing Poultry and Game Dishes

• Poultry refers to the group of domesticated fowls used as food
• Birds that are hunted and used as food are called games.
• Chicken is the most consumed of all poultry
• Poultry farming is one of the more profitable businesses
• Poultry has 22.6% protein, 76.3% water, and traces of fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• Dark muscles are found in parts like legs, thighs, wings, neck, and rib cage.
• Dark muscles are richer in fat, have more connective tissues, and have higher riboflavin and myoglobin contents.
• White muscles are found mainly in the breast.
• White muscles are tastier and juicier
• Variety meats include the internal organs like gizzard, liver, kidney, and heart.
• Before slaughtering, the chicken is not fed for one day before to allow easier removal of entrails.
• Slaughtering is performed by slitting the jugular vein in the chickens throat with a sharp knife.
• In factories, live chickens are shackled and hanged on hooks with their feet bound.
• Scalding is where the bled chicken is dropped in hot water for 30 to 60 seconds to facilitate the removing of feathers.
• Temperature of water should remain constant throughout to prevent discoloration and tearing of skin
• Defeathering is the removal of the chickens' feathers
• Evisceration is where the chicken is rinsed thoroughly to remove the entrails
• Steps in Slaughtering a Chicken

  1. Slaughtering and Bleeding
  2. Scalding
  3. Defeathering
  4. Evisceration
• Market Forms of Poultry

  1. Live Poultry
  2. Whole Poultry
  3. Dressed Poultry
  4. Drawn Poultry
  5. Poultry Cuts
  6. Frozen
  7. Ready-to-cook
  8. Precooked
• Live Poultry - when buying, select those that are alert, healthy, well feathered, and well formed
• Whole Poultry - poultry with all its parts intact but not alive
• Dressed Poultry - slaughtered bird that have been bled and defeathered
• Drawn Poultry - poultry with internal organs that have been removed and cleaned
• Poultry Cuts - parts of poultry that are cut and packed then sold
• Frozen - whole or chicken parts that are packed and frozen
• Ready-to-cook - can be sold whole, split in halves, quartered without backbone
• Precooked - include breaded chicken nuggets, breaded chicken fillet, chicken roll
• Nutrients in Chickens: (PACIF-PEC)

  • Energy
  • Protein
  • Fat
  • Calcium
  • Phosphorus
  • Iron
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
• Classes of Poultry

  1. Broiler
  2. Roaster
  3. Capon
  4. Hen or Stewing Chicken
  5. Stag
  6. Rooster
  7. Jumbo Broiler
• Broiler, also called a fryer, refers to chickens of about 9 to 12 weeks of age
• Roasters refer to chickens from 3 months old up to 6 months old.
• Capons are male chickens that have been desized surgically
• Hen or Stewing Chickens are mature female chickens more than 10 months old
• Stag refers to male chickens under 10 months old
• Roosters, also known as cocks, are mature male chickens with tough and dark meat
• Jumbo Broilers are extra-large broilers about 4 kilos in weight
• Poultry differ in quality characteristics in accordance with their age, sex, live weight, and breed
• Young poultry (broiler, roaster) contains less calories and are tastier and more flavorful
• Fat of poultry is found under the skin
• Young chickens in general are appropriate for dry-heat method because they are tender and easily cooked