BUTCHER YOUR WHOLE CHICKEN WITHOUT WASTE

There is A LOT to be said about waste in general and even more about food waste in particular.The advent of the industrial revolution has initiated this illusion of never ending abundance(for some of us) that encourages a consumerist behaviour without remorse. The truth is we are using and abusing far too much and far too quickly for nature to be able to regenerate the resources needed to produce more. Sustainable practice producers and mindful customers need to come together to change this trend for the sake of our children's future and not only for their sake but for the sake of our own souls, which will be questioned without a doubt about the responsibility entrusted on us to use whatever resources available responsibly.Especially in third world countries like Pakistan, where we witness so many go to sleep on an empty stomach on a daily basis, how do we excuse the grotesquely lavish trends of indulgence that waste precious food instead of dividing it among all creatures of Allah?!

Furthermore, the effort that goes into responsible food production cannot and should not be insulted by waste and destruction. Buy and use food for what it is, nourishment for your body. Nourish the body so it is able to function properly in fulfilling its duties in this short transition stage called "Life on Earth". Don't waste your time, energy and money on insignificant tasks and try to prioritise among your duties, one of which should certainly be using good, clean food responsibly so that abundance may become accessible to all.

On a lighter note, I'd like to show you the benefits of butchering your own chicken with the purpose of using up each and every bit of it without waste. It's a quick process that requires no special set of skills besides regular kitchen skills and it will enable you to design your menu around what you have rather than purchasing only pieces that fit your demand but leave bits unused that are eventually thrown away.

There are generally 3 types of cuts that you'll get from a whole chicken:

1) the meat on the bone which is the most succulent part of the chicken and it is preferred in fried chicken, curry and karahi recipes etc.

2) the boneless chicken breast pieces to be used for chicken steak, in chinese recipes, for mince and kebabs etc.

3) the carcass which is basically the skeleton with thin meat fibres attached to it. The carcass makes for an ideal chicken stock and the bonus advantage is that, once boiled, all that thin layer of chicken meat can be removed from the carcass and used in soups or sandwich fillings, salads etc.

Here is a short video showing how easy it is to make your own cuts. For a family of 4, i usually do 3 whole chickens at a time and this ensures I get cuts for several types of dishes, at least one mince dish, one curry, kebabs, fried chicken and soup and sandwiches.And the only waste are the bare bones which we feed to the cats.