Eviscerating and Giblet Processing
At 9:59 in
The easy way to process and butcher chicken
What happens here
Before eviscerating, ensure the chicken's crop (esophagus) is empty by not feeding the birds for about 24 hours prior to slaughter. Make a small slit in the skin near the crop area and gently pull the esophagus out. Then, make a small, controlled slit around the vent (cloaca) of the chicken. Insert your thumb and press inwards and around the cavity to loosen and remove the entire internal organ package (intestines, heart, lungs, gizzard, liver) without cutting or rupturing any organs, especially the gallbladder. Carefully separate the edible giblets (heart, liver, gizzard) from the intestines. Remove the gallbladder from the liver gently to avoid breaking it, which would contaminate the liver. Place intestines into a separate 'gut bucket'. The chicken is now ready for chilling.
Goal: Remove all internal organs and separate edible giblets.
Tools and materials
- Gut Bucket N/A — Collecting intestines and other inedible organs
- Heart/Gizzard Bucket N/A — Collecting cleaned hearts and gizzards
- Liver Bucket N/A — Collecting cleaned livers
- Sharp Knife Dexter — Making initial cuts and separating giblets