How to properly pluck and cut a duck, how to gut it and cut it into pieces

Most breeders prefer raising ducks because they not only grow quickly. Their meat has an exquisite taste. The optimal age for slaughtering poultry is 60-65 days. By this time, she gains up to 3-4 kg of weight, has young, immature plumage, which is easily plucked. Let's consider how to properly cut a duck so that the carcass retains its presentation and does not lose its taste.

How to kill a bird

12-16 hours before slaughter, the birds stop feeding.If the slaughter is planned for the morning of the next day, in the evening the ducks that go under the knife are separated from the herd, the feeders are removed from them, leaving only water. In addition, electricity is left in the room overnight.

2 methods of poultry slaughter:

1. Cut the carotid artery with a knife. Having suspended the duck by its legs, they take it by the head, pull it back, and then cut the neck. The knife is held so that the tip is slightly inclined to the ground.
2. Using a cleaver. The duck is taken by the wings and its head is placed on a block. By sharply lowering the ax, they separate the head from the neck.

After slaughter, the bird is hung by its legs for 10-15 minutes so that the blood drains well from it.

Plucking a duck

You can pluck a domestic duck in different ways. It all depends on the preferences of the hostess. Two tactics for feather removal:

1. Dry processing method. The most common method of feather removal. Plucking begins immediately after slaughter. The duck is laid on a flat surface or suspended by its legs, and 2 containers are placed nearby to collect feathers (the tail feathers are separated from the fluff).

First of all, the feathers are removed from the tail and wings of the bird. Then the chest and back of the duck are processed. To avoid tearing the skin, you need to pull out the feathers in the direction of their growth.

2. Scalding the carcass. The water in the container does not need to be brought to a boil. It is enough to heat it to 80˚C and dip the bird in it for a few minutes. You can start plucking feathers a few hours after slaughter. In 2-3 hours, the subcutaneous fat will harden, and the skin will suffer less during the process of removing the feathers.

The only drawback of this method is that the meat takes on a red tint. After removing the feathers, barely noticeable hairs and fluff remain on the duck's skin. They need to be scorched using a gas burner.

Experienced poultry farmers recommend buying ducklings in May-June. With proper maintenance, they can be pricked in August-September. Because as soon as the cold starts, the bird will begin to intensively “dress” in feathers and gain fat. Then plucking them will be much more difficult (in addition to the cover, you will have to remove the stumps).

Gutting rules

After singeing the skin, the carcass is placed under running water to wash off the carbon deposits. Then they begin to remove the insides. Algorithm of actions:

1. Gutting begins from the neck. After cutting the skin in front, the trachea and crop are removed. Ducks destined for sale have their necks carefully removed, leaving a large piece of skin to cover the cut.
2. The initial joints of the wings are trimmed. The paws are cut off a few centimeters above the heel joint.
3. A small incision is made above the cloaca, through which the giblets are removed from the carcass. The liver, lungs, heart and stomach are separated from the tripe (the latter should be gutted). After washing them thoroughly, they are put aside to dry (these giblets will also be used for cooking).
4. If the duck has built up belly fat, it is cut out.
5. The sebaceous gland is removed from the tail part of the carcass. If this is not done, during the cooking process it will not only spoil the taste of the meat, but also the smell.

After removing all the entrails from the duck, the bird is thoroughly washed. In this case, there is no need to keep the carcass in water for a long time (the taste of the meat will deteriorate). If you plan to freeze the bird in the future, place it on a net to drain and dry.

Cutting the carcass into portions

Before cooking, the bird is separated into portioned pieces.The duck should be cut with a sharp knife and placed on a board.

Poultry cutting procedure:

1. The hams are separated from the carcass. Turning the carcass with the cut towards you, move the leg to the side. The incisions are made as close to the back as possible. The wings are cut off using the same principle, using a knife along the spine.
2. To separate the fillet, the duck is placed on its back and pressed against the table. An incision is made in the middle of the sternum along the keel. Helping yourself with a knife, separate the skeletal component from the pulp.
3. It is more convenient to cut off the rib part with kitchen scissors.

All that remains is to cut the spine into several parts. It will make a rich broth for first courses. Abdominal fat and skin are melted. Dismembering a carcass seems like an impossible mission only at first.