Poultry Cookery Poultry Basics

What is Poultry Chicken Duck Goose Turkey Pigeon There are different classes of poultry These are usually based on the birds age and gender.

Maturity and Tenderness The older the bird the tougher the meat We want to select birds that are younger and less mature. The older the bird the more muscle they will have built. This causes the meat to be tough.

Dark vs. Light Meat Birds that rarely fly have light colored wing and breast meat. (Chickens and Turkey) Light meat has less fat and cooks faster than dark meat. Parts of the bird that has more muscle (connective tissue) are darker in color. The thighs and legs have more muscle. (Dark Meat) These parts take longer to cook. Duck and Goose are composed mostly of dark meat.

Purchasing Poultry Poultry can be purchased in different forms. You can buy fresh, frozen, or fully cooked. When poultry is prepared and ready to cook it is called ready to cook or RTC. Class depends on age and gender.

Purchasing Continued…. Male birds have tougher meat than female birds. Judging Quality: Check color: should be cream to yellow, Avoid birds with purple or green bruising, dark wing tips, these are indications of spoilage. Check odor: Uncooked poultry should not have a strong odor or feel sticky.

Inspection and Grading All poultry must be inspected by the USDA! Inspectors check to see if it has been processed in sanitary conditions. If it passes inspection it will receive USDA stamp of approval. All poultry should be graded. The highest grade poultry can receive is an A.

Grading Continued Using grade A poultry allows foodservice establishments to provide better quality and a more consistent product. In order for a bird to receive an A: Must be plump and meaty Have clean skin No broken bones Fully plucked

When we use grades B and C Birds that do not meet the above standards receive lower grades. Lower quality birds are processed to make poultry products such as chicken fingers and turkey pot pie!

Handling and Storage Fresh and Frozen poultry must be handled very carefully. Poultry should be frozen immediately if it is not going to be used right away. Fresh poultry should be used within 2-3 days. Store frozen poultry below 0 degrees F Thawing poultry should be done in the refrigerator.