The Mobile Poultry Slaughterhouse Read online

  “Like this?” Maria shouted back, pointing to the pecan-colored skin of her forearm, out from under her coverall.

  “NO! Like this!” the customer shouted back in a smile. White teeth parted by red lips on shiny eggplant-purple-kissed skin. Pointing to her face: “The color like me!”

  Maria torched the dead naked bird with that cool flame until all the feathers were burned off, and then a little longer and a little closer to the bird, until the chicken skin turned black, stretched taut, nearly splitting and torn but not quite.

  The customer, who is always right, was from Cameroon via Connecticut, and she never buys meat from the grocery store. “This is the way we have it back home,” she explained. “Black. That taste of fire. That is what I want. And it is so good!” She was rapturous to have this taste of her faraway home right here in America.

  Juliet found her way to this slaughterhouse along with many other immigrants to the New England area. It is a small, permitted slaughterhouse that does custom slaughter only. The meat that comes out of these doors is never to enter commerce. It cannot be sold or bought from a market. You won’t find this slaughterhouse on the Web or in a phone book. It’s on a farm. They don’t need to advertise; their customers find them. You would not know it’s there if you drove by. It’s a rare, nearly extinct species — a throwback to the days when small towns and neighborhoods across the country had slaughterhouses.

  This custom house also caters to the tastes, traditions, and religions of immigrants who come from all over the world. By doing so, it sheds light on the culture of the slaughterhouse, its laws and regulations. Whose value system do we adopt when regulating a slaughterhouse, and what does meat mean to us? Are we conventional or sustainable agriculture, local, or somewhere in between? Are we religious, atheistic, humane, mechanical, or other?

  All Juliet wanted was lean fresh chicken that tasted like home.

  The very next day marked the beginning of Eid al-Adha, a most holy Muslim holiday, and hundreds of families — American, Asian, African — would arrive at this place for the ritual sacrifice of lamb and the halal meat that would grace their holiday table. The imperative is so strong that these ritual slaughters will go forward even if places like this get written off the regulatory map and no longer exist — moving to backyards and back streets.

  The birds Juliet bought were spent laying hens from a large egg-producing factory farm farther south. They most certainly had never pecked and foraged on a green grass pasture. This, however, was of no consequence to Juliet. She seemed not to have an iota of concern about where the chickens came from, what breed they were, or what kind of lives they led. The most important thing to her was to see the bird alive one minute and dead the next. All she wanted was lean fresh chicken that tasted like home.

  Juliet bought her usual share, six chickens to get her through the next few weeks. She left with her gutted and loosely bagged birds, flirting and waving jovially to her slaughterhouse friends. She’d see them soon enough when she made the day trip for her black-skin chicken again.

  Chapter 8

  Now Cook Up That Lovely Bird

  Winner winner chicken dinner!

  — Traditional exclamation when someone wins a prize

  The best part of the MPPT is how community comes out of the woodwork. Everyone loves chickens in one way or the other. The fact that you’re out there, making something happen for eaters and farmers, is such a positive thing. Have fun and enjoy the people you meet. In so many ways, that is the gift of this work. Like a good tale that has a beginning, a middle, and a happy ending, this journey’s stories all start in the kitchen, and back to the kitchen they return.

  Making the Most of It

  A local chicken is different from typical grocery chicken in size, shape, proportions, and texture. To get the most out of your bird, cast a wide net into different cooking techniques: roasting, braising, stock making, salads, soups, stew. Learn how to carve well and how to get in there to pick all the meat off the bones. Hone your skills in how to butterfly a whole bird for the grill or to put up in your freezer. Save all bones and skin for stocks.

  The following recipes, contributed by Jefferson Munroe, Robert Booz, Daniele Dominick, Betsy Carnie, and Gordon Hamersley, were selected because these folks all know their chicken, and because a local chicken — one raised in small flocks on the pasture, an ethical chicken, as it were — is going to be more expensive. So in the kitchen it’s crucial to make the most of the beautiful bird you have before you. It is healing to cook with a good, fair, fresh, and safely and humanely killed chicken. And best of all, it tastes true!

  Types of Chicken

  Broiler and Fryer. 7–10 weeks old, 11⁄2–3 1⁄2 pounds

  Roaster. 10–14 weeks, 4–6 pounds

  Capon (castrated rooster). 5–6 months, 6–12 pounds

  Stew Hen. 10 months–11⁄2 years old, 41⁄2–7 pounds

  Rooster/Cock. 10+ months, 4–7 pounds

  Note: Ages and dressed weights depend on breed, the life lived, the feed fed.

  Labels: A Matter of Words

  contributed by Robert Booz, sustainable food activist, writer, cook, hunter

  Food labels can be bewildering, the terminology open-ended and even poetic, yet crafted to obfuscate. Know what’s marketing and what’s real.

  Basted or Self-Basted. As defined by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, poultry to which “fat broth stock or water plus spices, flavor enhancers, and other approved substances” have been added must be labeled as basted or self-basted. It is not uncommon for poultry processors to baste birds to add weight to the packaged product.

  Free Range. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service allows poultry to be labeled as Free Range or Free Roaming if producers “demonstrate to the agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.” What is problematic about this terminology is that the amount of access or the relative type of access is not regulated. Overcrowding is still prevalent in many cases, and the birds do not necessarily ever make it outside.

  Local or Locally Grown. These terms have no legal definition. Eating locally is important, but there is no regulation around the use of this term. One hundred miles is a popularly accepted range of local foods, and 300 miles is popularly accepted as regional; however, this varies from location to location. What’s more, just being local is no way to ensure the quality or sustainability of an ingredient, so consumers must investigate for themselves.

  Natural, All Natural, 100 Percent Natural. These terms have no legal definition and no basis in growing or production methods. Almost anything can carry this label.

  Organic. To be labeled organic, products must meet the standards set by the USDA National Organic Program. Organic farmers must use organic (non-GMO) feed and must not use antibiotics or growth hormones. This does not necessarily mean that the bird has been raised in a free-range environment.

  Starting with the Whole Bird

  Roast Chicken Permit #417

  Roast chicken was the first meat my older son ate. My neighbor Maggie had cooked up a beautiful bird. The interaction between the cook and the baby — their pleasure — is one of my most enduring kitchen memories. Now both my sons, all grown up, work part-time on the Chicken Crew in the summer, giving this recipe even deeper meaning to me. It serves 4–6, with leftovers.

  Brine (see page 112)

  1 whole local chicken, 3–6 pounds

  1–2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch-long sections

  1 onion, roughly chopped

  4–12 peeled garlic cloves, smashed

  2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths

  1 lemon, quartered

  Thyme, fresh, a sprig or dried, about a tablespoon

  Duck fat, chicken fat, butter, or oil

  Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

  Brine the chicken for 4 to 24 hours (for basic brine instructions, see page 112).

  Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken and dry well. In a size-appropriate iron
skillet or roasting pan arrange a bed of the carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and a couple of quarters of the lemon. Place a piece of celery, some onions, a quarter or two of the lemon and the thyme loosely into the cavity of the bird. Mix the fat of your choice with a good bit of salt and pepper and rub it under the skin of the bird. Rub a little more on the surface of the skin.

  It’s not strictly necessary that you truss it, but it’s a time-honored tradition in the arts of cookery that tightly binding the legs and wings to the body ensures moister breasts and more even cooking. Additionally, a trussed chicken will appeal to cooks and diners who share a particular aesthetic; elbows in, legs crossed, neat and lady-like. So as you eye your raw chicken, wondering whether or not to bind it into a tight ball of bird, I offer you Molly Stevens’s smart and simple suggestion found in her inspiring cookbook All About Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art where she writes: “Ignore any complicated cat’s-cradle-style trussing instructions and simply tie the two drumsticks together with kitchen string. This approach gives you a prettier bird that roasts as evenly as an untrussed one.”

  Place the bird on the bed of vegetables. Roast the bird uncovered in the hot oven until you can smell it and it’s turning brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F. Continue roasting for 45 to 60 minutes. Cooking time depends on weight of bird (see box below) — usually 20 minutes per pound.

  Test for doneness by jiggling a drumstick. It should be loose in the joint. Juices should run clear if skin is pierced with the point of a sharp knife. If you use a meat thermometer, insert it in a leg without touching the bone. It should read 170°F.

  Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes. This allows the juices to return to the meat. Carve and serve with some of the roasted vegetables.

  Save the carcass, any fat, juice, and vegetables (except the lemons) from the pan and any leftover bones on plates for a quick stock.

  Cooking Times and Weight

  Here are some approximate cooking times for roasting pastured, unstuffed chickens:

  21⁄2–3 pounds: 13⁄4 hours

  31⁄2–4 pounds: 11⁄2–1 3⁄4 hours

  41⁄2–5 pounds: 11⁄2–2 hours

  5–6 pounds: 13⁄4–2 1⁄2 hours

  The Brine

  by Robert Booz

  Brining is one of the most important and yet overlooked things you can do to a chicken. Everything from fried chicken to grilled chicken to roast chicken is improved with a little soak in some brine. Here’s a simple brine recipe anyone can make:

  1 gallon cold water

  1⁄2 cup kosher salt

  1⁄2 cup light brown sugar

  Combine the ingredients. Bring the brine to a boil, let it cool, pour it over your chicken, and let it sit in the fridge, preferably overnight. If you are short on brining time, make the brine saltier; if you are going to let it brine for a few days, cut back on the salt and sugar a bit.

  Trying throwing in aromatics like garlic, allspice, peppercorns, juniper, herbs, maybe a carrot or some celery, even a few slices of lemon or orange — things that will impart subtle and delicious flavors to your chicken. Use what you have on hand. If I’m grilling, I’ll use molasses in place of sugar for its smoky, thick, taste. Honey and maple syrup have also made appearances. Experiment!

  Tip: If you are in a hurry, cut back on the water when you are boiling the brine, then add cold water or ice to dilute the saltiness and cool it at the same time.

  Poule au Pot

  by Gordon Hamersley

  What to do with an entire old bird? Something slow and delicious. This serves 6–8.

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

  2 medium leeks, washed and chopped into 2-inch lengths

  3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces

  6 cloves peeled garlic

  2 sprigs thyme

  2 bay leaves

  1 sprig rosemary

  1 tablespoon black peppercorns

  2 dried chiles

  1 tablespoon coriander seeds

  1 tablespoon fennel seeds

  1 bottle dry sherry

  1 quart chicken stock

  Salt

  1 large old bird, about 6 pounds

  Sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

  Dijon mustard, for serving

  Coarse mustard, for serving

  Cornichons, for serving

  Homemade pickles, for serving

  Sea salt, for serving

  In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add the vegetables and herbs and cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes.

  Add the sherry, chicken stock, salt to taste, and the chicken. Add enough water to just barely cover the bird.

  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Skim the foam as it rises to the surface. Cook over low heat until the chicken is tender, 40–50 minutes.

  Lift the chicken out of the pot and let it rest for 5 minutes. Break the meat apart carefully, leaving the pieces large. Place on a large serving platter.

  Using a large slotted spoon, arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Add the sprigs of parsley.

  Pour the cooking liquor into a large water pitcher.

  Take the platter of chicken, the pitcher of broth, and the condiments to the table. Give each person a shallow soup bowl, and let them serve themselves some chicken and vegetables. The meat is moistened with some of the broth. Condiments are added as each person wishes.

  Taking Stock

  Different stocks should be used for different kinds of cooking. The white stock, lighter in flavor, makes a great base for risottos, braised red meats or lamb, vegetable soups, or anything that you don’t want to take on a strong chicken flavor. A roasted stock is more appropriate for things like chicken soup or stew, or even braised turkey legs, where you want a stronger chicken flavor and a darker color. If you don’t have enough bones or scraps for these recipes, you can always freeze your ingredients until you have a good supply.

  White Stock

  5–10 pounds of raw chicken bones and pieces (necks, backs, wing tips, or bones removed from deboning a chicken)

  Cold water

  Place the chicken and bones in a large stockpot. Add cold water until it covers the chicken by about 3 inches. Put the pot on medium heat. As the water comes up to a low boil, remove any scum that forms on the top. Once the water starts to boil, turn down the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook at this temperature for 4 to 5 hours, skimming any scum from the surface.

  Strain the stock into a large container and allow it to rest so the fat floats to the top. Skim off this fat, using a ladle, and save it (see Using Chicken Fat, below). The stock can be used right away, refrigerated for a week, or frozen.

  Using Chicken Fat

  Take the chicken fat conserved from making white stock and place in a saucepan, leaving at least 2 inches of room from the lip of the pot. Place over low heat and cook until any water has steamed off and the liquid stops bubbling. Let the fat cool slightly, then strain into a heatproof container and refrigerate.

  Rendering

  To render the chicken fat, save chicken fat from whole birds and thighs or ask your butcher to save extra fat when breaking down chickens. Soak the chicken fat for an hour in cold water, then put it in a pan and cook over medium-low heat until most of the fat has rendered out and you can remove the chicken bits. Keep cooking until all the water has evaporated, and you’ll be left with a wonderful cooking fat that resembles clarified butter. Store covered in the refrigerator. Be sure to save the fat that rises to the top when making white chicken stock.

  Roasted Chicken Stock

  5–7 pounds of chicken bones and pieces (necks, backs, wingtips, bones removed from a chicken or left over from a meal)

  1 large carrot, peeled and trimmed

  1 large onion, peeled and cut in half

  1 stalk celery

  Cold water

  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange all o
f the ingredients except the water in a single, not too tightly packed, layer on a baking tray or trays. Place in the oven and roast until the chicken pieces are all a deep brown, about 30 minutes. If any look close to burning, remove and set them aside until the others have finished. Pour off any fat that has been rendered by the roasting and discard.

  Put all the roasted chicken and vegetables into a large stockpot. Use a wooden spoon and a bit of cold water to scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the baking trays and into the pot. Cover the chicken and vegetables with cold water to about 2 inches above the bones. Put the pot on at a medium heat. As the stock comes to a boil, remove any scum that forms on the surface.

  Once the pot is about to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 4 to 5 hours, continuing to scrape any scum from the surface. Strain the stock into a large container and use a ladle to remove any fat that collects at the surface. Discard this fat. This stock will keep for up to a week in the fridge or can be frozen.

  Breaking Down and Deboning a Chicken

  Breaking down chicken, whether splitting into multiple pieces or butterflying for the grill, is a fairly straightforward process. With a minimal amount of practice, you will feel like a pro.

  Breaking a Chicken into Its Parts

  Place the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board. Grab the end of the drumstick and pull it away from the body so that the skin between the thigh and the breast stretches. With a sharp knife, cut through this skin, favoring the thigh side. This will help to expose the joint where the thigh joins the body. Use your knife to free the leg from the body in the joint. At first this may seem complicated, but after a try or two it will be second nature.