I can't find good chicken

(M) #1

Sometimes I would like a good drumstick or thigh but I can’t find good chicken. I always try to do pasture raised, and I like my meat older, gamey and tough strangely. The best chicken I had was from white oak pastures when they were doing their corn soy free program (which they discontinued). I’ve tried various other corn soy free chicken pasture raised and it had no flavor. I don’t like anything in the grocery store. Does good chicken exist?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

You may have to raise your own. Most local jurisdictions in the U.S. allow keeping chickens, but they regulate the number, so consult your town hall for the relevant regulations.

(M) #3

Too many bobcats and raccoons here, and it’s too hot for a pyrenees where I live.

I’ve determined that it is not just the fishmeal, crab, peas, kelp fed chicken that taste better than corn and soy, but it also seems to be the age of the chicken and how much they really used their muscles. Perhaps something in the regenerative farming practice of white oak made their chicken good too.

I am also wondering why there is no wild hunted duck/turkey sold?

#4

I have found even supermarket turkey has a subtle but nice taste unlike chicken. In Hungary but I can imagine it doesn’t matter so much.
I probably could find good chicken for a very high price (4-5 times as much as the normal tasteless thing) but I can buy way better meats for less so I don’t even try. I do like (normal cheap supermarket) small hens for soup, they are tasty that way. And the chicken is edible too, just not tasty so I gave up on roasting it, it needs some very flavorful sauce and smaller pieces, that works. Still not good but if I want tasty meat, I buy something else, pork or deer or organs, not chicken.

A good home-raised chicken cooked well and with nice spices is pretty great though. I still prefer pork but variety is nice.

I can’t keep chickens either, I don’t have space for it (big elevation with trees all over the place. we couldn’t even fit a garage anywhere) and and it probably would be tough to keep them from predators.

(Betsy) #5

Where do you live?

(M) #6

very south Florida near the gulf coast

(M) #7

how do you add fat to deer?

(KM) #8

You might want to see if Backyard Chickens has a group in your area. People sometimes raise chickens purely for eggs and wind up with old chickens they don’t really want.

(Betsy) #9

Yourfamilycow ships frozen chicken by UPS. They are in PA. They have good quality pasture raised, no soy in the food chicken.

Their eggs are the only eggs I can eat and not get sick, but I have never had the chicken.

#10

I use a little bit of lard (it’s virtually my only cooking fat and my favorite). It’s good for me to eat the leanest meat I can as I tend to overeat fat despite trying not to. But the package of deer I buy is 300g and it’s for 2 persons so it’s not like I base my day on it, it’s just a tiny little more exotic than usual dish :slight_smile:
I base my days on leanish pork quite often, I don’t add anything, usually, only if the actual piece is really lean. Yesterday I used mustard sauce with cream and yolk. I don’t think the cream did much but I had a little leftover…
And if it’s stew, I always can add some sour cream… If it’s just roasted, I can eat it with eggs or some fattier meat.

(Polly) #11

lardons

(B Creighton) #12

There are companies that sell pasture raised chickens, but you will probably have to order online. Butcherbox calls theirs free range organic chicken - mind you this does not eliminate organic soy fed chicken. I have to admit being a little cheap here, and have just consigned myself to what I can get locally - usually I find the chill packed chicken thighs at Costco to be good enough. I just don’t see paying $10/lb for chicken. I pay that for wild salmon, and shrimp. But, I only pay about $5-6/lb for grass fed beef. If I find a local source for chicken, I would do it though. I do find turkey to have some taste, but I really only like turkey breast meat. When I have room, I sometimes will buy a turkey breast. There are turkey farms in an adjoining county, and I know they grow their own food - however, they are def not pasture raised. Their turkey does have a distinctive taste - Norbest.