Boneless Birds Recipes

MY MOM'S BONELESS BIRDS

Steps:

• Birds:.
• Mix all the ingredients (not for the sauce), except for the uncooked bacon. Mix with your hands, and mix and mix, until everything is thoroughly blended.
• Cut the bacon with a pair of scissors, in tiny bits/pieces.
• Shape "birds" with your hands, into sizes that are about 5 or 6 inches long. Make a dent in the middle and insert 2 or 3 of the tiny bacon pieces.
• Fry your birds in oil/margarine on a low to medium heat. Turn the birds and let them brown evenly. You may have to adjust your burners as you want the birds to have a wonderful and even brown color on the outside, as well as be cooked on the inside.
• You will probably have to fry them in batches unless you have a very large frying pan.
• Remove the birds. Add to drippings in pan:.
• the sour cream, the undiluted can of soup, and mix well. Thin out your sauce with the milk, depending on how thick you wnat it. Put your birds back into the sauce and let simmer on very low heat, until heated through.

THE TURDUCKEN: BONELESS TURKEY STUFFED WITH A BONELESS DUCK AND BONELESS CHICKEN "ONE BIG BIRD"

Steps:

• For the andouille sausage stuffing: In a large bowl, mix the pork, liquid smoke, garlic, salt, paprika, black pepper, chili pepper flakes, mace, allspice, ground bay leaves, sage and cayenne pepper, if using, with some cold water. In a pan or on a flat-top, brown off the sausage mixture in about 3 teaspoons of bacon fat for flavor. Once the sausage mixture is browned, chill immediately.
• For the spinach stuffing: Melt the butter in large skillet. Add the spinach, onion, fennel seed, salt and white pepper and saute for 5 minutes until hot. Set aside to cool.
• Preparation of the duck and chicken: It is wise to de-bone the duck and chicken first for practice. Place the fresh chicken breast-side down on large cutting board. Starting at the bird's neck, you will cut through the skin along the length of the spine. Using the tip of the knife and starting from the neck end, separate the meat from the rib cage on 1 side. Disjoint the wing from the shoulder blade and reserve for stock. Work towards the thigh bone, cut through the ball and socket joint and "pop" loose using upward pressure with your hand from under the bird. Using your thumbnail, loosen the "oyster meat" (the most tender part) from the frame. With the knife, remove the thigh and leg bone, but keep the leg attached to the bird. Repeat the process on other side of chicken. When both sides are finished, the bird will lay flat. Grab rib cage by the neck area and gently pull towards back to remove the entire carcass and breast bone cartilage. Repeat the same de-boning procedure for the duck. In a well ventilated area or with an exhaust fan on high, preheat a large cast-iron pan to very hot. Rub the boneless chicken and duck with olive oil. Generously sprinkle with blackening spice on both sides. Place skin-side down in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes then turn over and repeat. Refrigerate.
• De-bone the turkey using the same procedure as the chicken and duck with 2 exceptions: The turkey wings should be left attached to the meat and the bone-in drumstick should be disjointed from the boneless thigh meat and left attached to the meat. The final product should be a flat boneless turkey (except for the wings and drumsticks).
• To stuff the turducken: Place the turkey skin-side down on a flat surface. Rub the meat with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic and 1 tablespoon blackening spice. Spread an even layer of cornbread dressing over the meat about 3/4 inch thick and pat down with hands. Spread 1/4-inch layer of spinach stuffing. Sprinkle with 2 cups of the andouille sausage stuffing. On top, place 6 to 8 slices of roasted red bell peppers. Place the chilled duck, skin-side down, on top of layered stuffing. Repeat the layered stuffing as above. Arrange the chilled chicken, skin-side down, on top of the stuffed duck. Spread the remainder of the stuffing on top of chicken. Press down gently with hands to compact all ingredients.
• To truss the turducken: This may take another person's help. Lift the sides of the turkey together. Have a helper hold the bird closed while sewing the back of the turkey together using butcher's twine, making the stitches about 1inch apart, starting at the back of turkey and working towards the neck. Be careful since the Turducken has no boney frame. Roll over breast-side up and finish sewing the neck portion of bird. Tie off and cut twine. Now sew up the opening at the leg section of turkey. Truss the legs together with twine. For extra support, tie butcher's twine around the bird's width every 3 inches down along the bird's length. Position your hands evenly under the turducken and lift into a large roasting pan with rack inside. The pan should be at least 3-inches deep to catch drippings during cooking. Rub the entire exposed skin of the bird with 2 tablespoons of olive oil then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of blackening spice and salt. Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Wrap the drumsticks with aluminum foil. Place parchment paper over the entire bird. Loosely tent the roasting pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 200 degrees F for 12 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove all foil and parchment paper the last hour of roasting time and turn up temperature to 325 degrees F. Baste with the drippings. When done, remove from the oven and let set in the roasting pan for at least 1 hour. With 2 heavy duty spatulas, insert underneath and remove the turducken from the rack to place on carving platter. Remove all butcher twine including pulling out the portion along the spine. To serve, cut the turducken in half lengthwise, then cut servings crosswise in approximately 1-inch thicknesses. Serve with gravy and enjoy.

BONELESS BIRDS

Steps:

• Pound meat to about ¼ inch thick, and cut into 8 pieces.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a wedge of onion, a slice of bacon, and ½ of a carrot on each piece.
• Roll up and fasten with toothpicks or string.
• Roll each in flour.
• In a large frying pan melt butter, and brown rolled meat.
• Add ½ cup water to browned meat and simmer for about 1½ hours, adding more water as needed.
• Remove from pan and use the remaining water for a gravy by adding a bit of flour to the water and stirring over low heat until smooth.
• Serve with mashed potatoes.

THE TURDUCKEN: BONELESS TURKEY STUFFED WITH A BONELESS DUCK AND BONELESS CHICKEN "ONE BIG BIRD"

Steps:

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BEEF BIRDS

Steps:

• Pound steak to 1/4 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or edge of heavy plate.
• Cut meat into strips, approximately 3x5 inches. Season flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder and dredge the meat in the flour. (save the remaining flour to thicken the gravy).
• Add a 1/2 slice of bacon (size to cover the meat strip) and thin chunks of onion to the meat, leaving the end of the meat free of onion so you can roll up more easily. Roll it up, with the bacon and onion on the inside and secure with 2 toothpicks.
• In Dutch Oven or heavy pot, heat oil and brown birds well on all sides. You will have to do this in batches. Do NOT skimp on browning well, it really makes the dish.
• Return birds to the pot. Add beef broth and enough water up to 3 inches in pot. Cover and simmer on low until fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours, check after 1 hour.
• Remove birds. Skim some, but not all of the fat from the pot. Make gravy using pan juices, flour and water, or however you like to make your gravy.