Well, thank you for all the comments, each one is listened to, but Tara, you have brought, again, to the surface, that information about cooking heritage breed birds, by Gina, again, to the forefront. Long sentence here, poor grammar, but it is what it is, smiling.
Making room for stuff. Never thought about what I had said. By this I meant making room for bigger and better males for my breeding program. Think I got some real honkers coming, and blues and splash, with definite yellow shanks and foot soles. Replacements for the roosters. The other rooster, in a couple of months too, will be heading for the processing.
Yes, thank you Uno. She brought over the killing cone yesterday and I almost fell over. Her and Horsey Young Adult Daughter drove it over. I was working in the garden, and I saw Uno’s beautiful face poking through the fence. I didn’t not hear them come, funny cause they have a very beautiful and loud truck of some sort, smiling. Horsey Young Adult Daughter was driving, with streaming and beautiful red, maybe it was auburn hair. Two beautiful woman, bringing me a killing cone. On a huge hunk of wood. Attached to this hunk of wood. Yes. This hunk of wood was about as tall as me, and was made out of I suppose it was like 10” X 10” post, maybe it was 6” by 6”, I do so like to embellish, smiling. I could carry it, but it probably weighed near until what I weigh too, again embellishing, I am about 135 pounds, give or take a few, probably a few heavier, hee, hee. Ya, so now getting ready. All I have to do now is get Sister’s butt in gear. She arrived that day, Grandchild in tow. She is up visiting her Daughter who lives in Vernon, so will be spending lots of time with me, probably Grandchild in tow, as she will babysit for Daughter who works at a neat restaurant, named Kelly O’Briens, and she gets to wear a kilt whilst at work, coooooool. Darn ramblin’, onwards, now stop, back to my story.
I quickly carried that wood and killing cone and hid it in the gazebo, until we get down to some work. I can imagine my poor Son-in-Law when he saw what was brought out of the back of the truck. I laugh. He probably just sighed, and thought, what next....what’s that crazy lady gonna do with that thing? Conjures up some funny thoughts, well it does, in my mind’s eye. Ramblin’....got a tale to tell.
So ya. This is a cochin dude, a splash, he has absence of something that I would like, so he is not sticking around. Betters coming up, but he has contributed some good stuff, like size, health and temperament, as has his brother. He is 14 months old, so ya, he is considered, by Gina’s description, a stewing fowl. I guess when one looks to slow cooking, that is probably stewing. He is worthy of the best care that I can give when it comes to the process of aging and cooking. He will be aged a good 5 days, then decided what to do. I don’t know if my Sister will still be here in five days. If she is good, we will eat him in a family dinner. If she is gone, before she goes, I will pull a great rooster from the freezer that I grew out. Yes, Tara, gots lots of my roosters in the freezer still. I think I had about 25 or so processed last year, so a few left. She will experience the birds grown on our farm. For Father’s Day dinner last, my youngest Daughter insisted that we cook two of the roosters that I grew for dinner. She knows how good they taste, and oh so tender, now that proper cooking has been in place. She cooks in a 250 oven for 2 hours, then about 45 minutes at the hot 350 oven for browning. Haven’t seen a need to add any water for cooking in, and there is always lots of lovely juice, no fat, none whatsoever (that is the thrilling part), but lots of drippings to make awesome gravy. And oh the skin. Always will have the skin on the bird. That is the best part, her and I pig out as the bird is broken apart, the skin, next to no fat, lots of spice, and crispy, oh so crispy, we are skin lovers. This provides a most moist, moist and tender meat, I believe the skin acts as a moisture holder in-er and bastes the bird from the inside out. Yummy. Yes, ramblin’....so Sister will experience the homegrown before she goes. In the past this woman has processed many a bird. She raised meat birds, the ones that are ready at such a tender age. She has not yet experienced the flavour of a full grown bird. I recall a male that we cooked last fall that was 16 months old. He was cooked in the same manner and really? How could anyone say an old rooster does not taste absolutely wonderful? I don’t think mating and hormone junk makes for bad taste. I heard someone say that, and I totally disagree, there was nothing off about his taste, he was AWEsome. I try now to have the males processed about 24 weeks of age, no younger, could be older, but maturity with body size. I had made a post some time ago about the different in the development (I am speaking to buff orpingtons) of males after 20 weeks old and about the 24 week old age. During that month’s time, incredible changes had taken place in body stature, pictures to back that up in that post. It was nothing short of amazing what development occurred in only a month’s time. Ramblin’, beg pardon.
So where was I? Right. I think even I will stuff that rooster when we eat him. I make awesome stuffing and a stuff bird, oooooh la la. And I have home grown pork (had all the lesser cuts of pork made into porkburger, so lots of “hamburger”). I like to make the stuffing with onions, bread and pork hamburger, garlic salt, a little poultry seasoning and pepper, yummeeeee, best stuffing ever, and simple as simple can be.
Sometimes I ramble so much, I can’t remember what I was ramblin’ about. Right. Gonna kill the old red rooster, just like the song said....have a wonderful and awesome day, CynthiaM.
