Chicken Again

It was chicken for 79 cents a pound this week -- again. I realize that a lot of people would be kind of grossed out to fully dismember a bird -- removing the skin, back and wings is a slimy job. It does take time and without a pair of kitchen shears, it would be impossible.  But I am always willing to get in and butcher a bird because it's one of the best ways to save money.  I like to dump the parts in a bowl, then rub them with oil and seasonings, prior to roasting it.

The skin, wings and back went into a zippy.  This will be at least two meals for the pup.  The skin will help her coat as well.  The reason I love processing a chicken is that what is not optimal for us is great for her.  Chicken skin and wings are high in fat and calories, so the healthy thing is to take a pass -- even if that means letting go of some serious yum.  The fat is great for a dog -- it's their primary source of energy.  There is also the philosophy of treating like with like -- and as I've written before, Teddy has skin woes.  She has been doing well this summer -- and I think the skin is a part of it.

The breast meat went into a large zippy to be used for future meals.  So far, we've had two great dinners with it and TBG is happy to be able to make chicken and hummus wraps for lunch.  We have just enough to last us until Wednesday night -- which was my dinner goal pre-Labor Day weekend.  Having this set aside means I can make cold salads for dinner -- either as a focal point or side.

The juicy thigh meat was immediately diced and mixed with onion, black beans and Ranchero sauce.  I like to make this up ahead of time so that the flavors have time to meld.  When it comes time to prepare dinner, it can be easily sauteed.

This is my favorite way to make chicken tacos.  Adding the beans means the meal is higher in fiber than traditional tacos.  Chicken is also cheaper than ground beef.  It's leaner and lower in calories too.  This was a nice fresh summer Sunday dinner and enough was left for lunch on Monday.


One downside to using this method is that there is not as much carcass left for stock.  I did make a batch which is quite weak.  That's fine for making rice or a grain.  It gives just a touch of flavor.  I can also simmer it again with veggies if I want to add more flavor.  I just can't throw anything away without fully using it.  The pup did get the bits of meat and cartilage I could cull from the pot.  Once it has been cooked down that much, it is lower in nutrients.  At that point, it's just a snack/treat.

I've read a lot about how Americans over-consumption of chicken is part of the obesity epidemic.  That may be true -- if you are eating it fried, making it the majority of meals, eating the skin, wings, etc., that would explain a lot.  In the past, poultry was not as cheap so a family only bought one bird per week and made it last.  There was a saying: "A chicken for every pot." That's what I try to do as well.  While our ancestors couldn't afford to discard the skin and wings -- that's our modern luxury.  Dogs in the past did exist off of human discards -- dog food was not manufactured until after WWII, so what we're doing isn't radical or new.

I think the best way to be frugal in the modern world is to be anachronistic.  Maybe my grandparents weren't having tacos for dinner, I know that they were using every last scrap of the bird they brought home each week.  I guess that makes me an old-fashioned girl after all.