Background: Sometimes I buy or thaw a chicken over a break or holiday. I’m thinking, “what a great time to smoke a chicken.” Fast forward to 4 p.m. on the last day of the holiday and I’m trying to get my last meal on the table and I still haven’t done anything with the chicken. Probably I’m already making stock, so it makes sense to break it down quickly and throw the carcass in the stock.
- Get a whole chicken.
- Get some slider buns.
- Get your favorite chicken sandwich fixings.
- Get a filet knife and a cutting board.
- Get some Bragg liquid aminos.
- Get some freezer containers.
- Cut on either side of the breast bone, from where the head was to where the feet are.
- You should be able to slide the filet knife under the meat and against the breast bone cutting down toward the point of the breast and back around to the top to remove the breast meat.
- Under the breast meat, you should see the tenderloin. Slide your knife under that and cut it out in one piece.
- Remove the legs by firmly grabbing the leg quarter with your hands and bending the quarter until the leg bone pops free. You should then be able to cut around it to remove the leg quarter.
- Use the fillet knife to get as much of the leg meat off the leg quarter. Put in the freezer and label as “chicken for grinding.”
- Throw the rest of the carcass in the stock pot.
- On a cutting board, put a plastic bag over the breast meat and tenderloins and any other choice pieces you aren’t going to grind or throw in the stock.
- Wrap a can in a plastic bag and pound the meat until it’s about a quarter-inch thick.
- Brine in liquid aminos for about a half hour to an hour.
- Fire up a cast iron skillet or griddle and get it ripping hot. Turn on the hood.
- Butter the skillet or griddle and immediately start placing the cutlets.
- Just like you do with the Extra Thin Pork Cutlets in Soy Sauce, start laying them front to back on a griddle.
- By the time you put the last one, return to the first one you put on the griddle and flip once.
- By the time you get to the last one again, return to the first one and start removing them to a piece of foil.
- When you get to the end, gather up the foil like an untied sachet.
- While the chicken is resting, clean the griddle, and place the slider buns on the griddle to warm.
- Serve with your favorite chicken sandwich condiments.
Why It Works.
- Chicken is cheaper when you buy it whole and roast it or break it down yourself. You also get several options for how to use the meat.
- We’ve recently switched from Martin’s potato rolls to southern style yeasted dinner rolls
- Might I suggest, lettuce, Pecan Aioli and Quick Pickled Onions?
- Many people break down chickens with a cleaver or chef’s knife. If I’m quartering it, I will too. But I use a filet knife when I want to slice the meat off the carcass quickly instead of pounding through bone.
- This is like soy sauce, but it’s got non GMO soy beans and no wheat for those seeking GF.
- You could also wrap in butcher paper. I don’t because I don’t like having to wait until the meat thaws enough to let go of the folds in the paper.
- You can leave some meat on the carcass while you are doing this.
- You should be going in at about a 45-degree angle.
- The tenderloin has a tendon in it that you will want to remove.
- You are going to be getting the leg and the thigh at the same time.
- Label it however you want. I grind mine.
- Are you making broth now instead of stock because you have introduced raw meat on the bones? I don’t know. Does it matter?
- This is to avoid raw chicken pieces (and potentially salmonella) from flying around your kitchen.
- Again. Raw Chicken.
- It can get pretty salty so it doesn’t need much time.
- The liquid aminos will brown quickly and burn after that. So you will want good ventilation.
- The butter will also burn, so move quickly.
- I go left to right, front to back, on a rectangular griddle so that I know exactly where I started.
- Keep moving quickly.
- I like to pre shape the foil a bit by folding up the sides to catch the juices coming off the chicken.
- Leave it vented a little to prevent too much more steaming.
- Or don’t clean the griddle.
- Guac would work.
Mods:
- Make rice instead of buns, use soy sauce instead of liquid aminos, and make stir fry instead of sandwiches.
- I don’t have time for more Mods. I have to clean up this mess.