Cooking all parts of the chicken is an effective solution to save money and serve a delicious meal for the family. Besides being able to enjoy the deliciousness of chicken meat, chicken bones can also be used for broth when you cook soup. When cutting chicken into quarters, you'll need to separate the light and dark colored meat, with the result coming in 4 equal-sized pieces that can be grilled, broiled, or cooked as desired.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing the Chicken
Step 1. Remove the chicken from the wrapper and separate the innards
Most chicken sold in the market is packaged in thick plastic wrap so you will need a knife to open it, you will also have to soak the chicken briefly in the sink to clean it. Discard the plastic wrap.
- Chicken offal is usually located in the cavity of the chicken, wrapped in plastic or left inside. Find the location and remove it from the chicken. You can use the offal for cooking, or throw it away.
- Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to wash raw chicken before preparing it. Washing chicken with water can spread the bacteria present in the chicken into your clean kitchen and increase your risk of disease. Boil or put the chicken in the oven at 74 °C, this is a powerful way to kill bacteria in the chicken. As long as you cook the chicken properly, you don't need to rinse it first.
Step 2. Prepare a cutting board
Cut the chicken on a special meat cutting board that is clean and strong. Make sure you clean your cutting boards and knives before using them to cut other ingredients.
Step 3. Use a sharp and strong butcher knife
Cutting the chicken into quarters requires you to cut the bones as well, so it's important to use a sharp, strong knife. Using a chef's knife or machete is highly recommended as it will make it easier for you to cut the chicken pieces. Sharpen your knife before use, making sure it is sharp enough before cutting.
Part 2 of 2: Making the Cut
Step 1. Separate the legs from the chicken body
Slice each leg joint using a butcher's knife, cutting through the skin. This will loosen the leg without actually breaking it.
After that, pull and rotate the chicken leg until the joint is free from the chicken body, then cut the bottom of the joint again if the leg and thigh have not separated
Step 2. Separate the legs into the upper thighs and lower thighs or what is often called a drumstick
Place the upper and lower thighs face down. Use a machete to separate the lower thighs and upper thighs.
Alternatively, you can leave the legs and thighs together for a larger cut (if that's what you want)
Step 3. Separate the breast and wings from the chicken body
Place the chest face down with the neck cavity facing you. Cut the chicken from the back through the ribs to the neck cavity using a butcher knife or large scissors. After that, cut the breastbone to cut the chicken into two halves.
- Remove unwanted fat and bone by cutting the ribs to the chest, separating the spine; discard or keep if desired. Also separate the sternum and the vertebrae that connect it.
- Alternatively, you can choose to separate the chest first, by pressing the center of the chest to find the cartilage, then inserting the tip of a knife into one of the halves. After that, cut it to the end. To separate the chicken into two halves, do more or less the same way, then discard any unused ribs.
Step 4. Cut the wing joints to separate the chest and wings
Use the edge of the knife to press down on the body of the chicken, pull the joint of the wings to reveal the skin layer and then cut the part with a knife.
Tips
- To make the soup, slice the ribs between the breastbone and ribs. Two of these bones will be enough to put in the pot to make the broth.
- The process of cutting chicken can be done before or after cooking. Some recipes, especially those for cooking on the stovetop, require the chicken to be cut and seasoned before cooking so that the chicken can fit into the pan.
- Consider using plastic gloves when cutting raw chicken to prevent bacteria from transferring to your hands. Gloves can also protect your hands from the heat when the chicken has just been removed from the oven. Also make sure you wash your gloves again after use.
