First you will need to set out a whole plucked thawed chicken. If you butcher the live chicken you will need to get a Large pot of water boiling, kill the chicken, make certain it's dead, put it in the boiling water for 10-30 seconds and then pluck it.
Most people will probably skip all that and go to the grocers and get a whole chicken, so I am starting there. You can wait until whole chickens go on sale, buy as many as you like, and butcher them up yourself. It will save you a Ton of money. The more you buy, the more you save!! I usually wait until they go on sale for about $1 a pound before I buy. This makes them about $5.00 per bird. Otherwise they are $1.50 per pound or $7.00 or so per bird.
Start with the wings first. You are going to make a circular Cut shaped cut all the way around the chicken's "armpit" area.
Once that is completed continue the cut all the way around to the back. Remember! We do notwant to cut through bone. Only meat and tendon and cartlidge if you do it right, it should go smoothly.
Once you have cut all the way around, then you should be able to pull the wing out from the body and see where the joints connect. Sever any remaining connective tissue with your knife and the wing should detach with minimal effort
Once both wings have been removed and set aside we flip the bird over.
Pull The leg away from the bird's body
Follow the natural contours where the legs connect to the inner bird with your knife.
Once you do this on both sides this will put the bird in a spread eagle position with the legs still attached to the bird.
Now you will flip the bird over again
make a cut straight down it's spine
Similarly to the way that you cut around the wings, you will cut around the remaining piece that connects the leg portion to the torso of the bird.
You should be able to sever all tissue around the joint that connects the leg to the body and then pop the joint out with little or no difficulty.
Now is the point where I like to remind folks to get the insides out of the chicken. Especially if you are using the carcass to make broth.
I like to remove the fat off of the breasts. You don't have to do that, but I personally like to.
Once the Skin is removed you can actually see where the two breasts separate.
As you cut away the breast you reveal a smaller breast area, I don't know exactly what it's called (feel free to comment if you do!) but I like to use it for chicken tenders, so that's what I call it).
Once you're done separating the main parts from the bird it's time to separate out the wings.
First Cut off the Wing tip. Just the tip. (Shout out to all my Archer Fans!!!!)
Now make a circular cut at the joint to separate the wing from the drummy
Pull apart at the joint and set aside.
Once I get the chicken processed I do all kinds of fun stuff with it to prep for dinner. I utilize my Food Saver a lot. I make freezer pack crock pot ready hot wings.
Lemon Pepper Garlic Chicken
Honey Mustard Chicken
A freezer FULL of meat only cost me $15.00
Additionally I got 3 Quarts of Chicken Stock
And using my foodsaver, everything fits in the top part of my small freezer, no problems. One small afternoon. LOADS of savings.
