A lesson in how to cut up a chicken, including a video showing the technique used by a butcher who's been cutting up chickens since he was eight years old. Two recipes for chicken, Grilled Balsamic Chicken that starts in the oven and finished on the grill, another for Vince's (he's the butcher) Baked Chicken.
“All it takes is a sharp knife and a little experience.” That’s the advice of butcher Vince Krekeler, who began cutting up chickens at his dad’s grocery in Maplewood at age eight and is now one of five meat cutters, the modern title, at Freddie’s Market in Webster Groves.
“Cutting meat is a lost art,” says Vince. If he sounds rueful, it’s because working butchers are increasingly rare. In our area, only Freddie’s, McDonnell’s Market Place and Straub’s still cut meat behind the counter.
‘Artful’ is exactly how to describe the 50 seconds of swift, sure, practiced knife work that Vince uses to separate one of Freddie’s fresh, ice-packed chickens into wings, drumsticks, thighs, breasts and the back, all for an extra 10 cents a pound. That, good cooks, is art for a price we might all happily invest.
For potlucks, I use chicken thighs and drumsticks, smaller portions when the table is laden with other goodies.
QUICK SUPPER:
GRILLED BALSAMIC CHICKEN
Time to table: 24 hours
Serves 8
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
-
MARINADE
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
Rinse and dry chicken pieces. Place breasts, thighs and drumsticks in a large ziplock bag. (Save the back and wings for Homemade Chicken Stock.) Mix marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate for 24 hours, keeping meat submerged, turning if needed.
Preheat oven to 325F. Place chicken in a baking dish in a single layer, pour marinade over top. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. (If making in advance, cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature.)
Heat grill, wipe rack with wad of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil. Finish chicken on the grill, cooking each side 4 - 5 minutes, brushing with marinade.
HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK Throw the back and the wings into a pot with onion, celery, a few peppercorns and cover with water. Let barely simmer for an hour or so, strain and refrigerate.
"A Sharp Knife and a Little Experience" Live
Note to readers: This is my first time to insert a video into a post so please bear with me as I the in's and out's. But I hope you'll enjoy seeing how quick and easy it is to cut up a chicken. Let's learn from Vince's experience!
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Your Comments:
The chicken looks delicious!
I am new to your website and I must say I really enjoy reading all the recipes and the great stories. I signed up to receive the e-mails.
Thanks,
Mary in NJ
Thanks so much for taking the time to write! I hope you find plenty of recipe (and story!) inspiration.
AK
Experience, that is the key. Good gracious, he makes it look so easy. Everytime I try to cut any piece of meat, all I can think about is keeping my fingers out of the way. I figure if I can come away without a nick or cut, I've done well.
By the way, great post! The video really drives the point of home very well. I will most likely follow Ali's advice and take my laptop into the kitchen, hitting pause at every step. Too bad I don't have a remote control. The recipes look great! I am going to try the balsamic chicken. Thank you.
Laura