I've had this Buck 110 for about 40 years now. Didn't know there was a Merit Badge on the forum for using one!
Decided to make a Cornish game hen for lunch. For those who don't know what one is, it's basically a small chicken, about two pounds or so dressed but not completely butchered into parts. I typically eat half the first day and the other half a day or two later.
As with any bird, it should be trussed to keep the wings from burning and the breasts from drying out while baking. I do it with cotton baking string. Using anything with man-made stuff risks the string melting in the oven which ruins the bird, and your day after going to all the work to prepare it. I don't stuff birds as getting stuffing to bake completely inside a bird typically requires over-baking the meat. Instead I put a mix of lemon juice, coarse ground black pepper, hot mustard seed, minced garlic and minced onion spread on the inside, and then spread on the outside. Of course, the Buck 110 is used to cut the string.
I bake it at 350F in a combination microwave and convection oven using a temperature probe that turns off the oven when it reaches 165F, baking it on convection
only. (Doing a combo nuke+convection is faster but ruins it.) Some birds come with instructions to bake them to 180F, but that's guard-banded by their lawyers just to ensure it reaches at least 165F, which is the minimum for poultry at zero time. Lower temperatures require holding it for a while, the lower the temperature, the longer it must be held there which is how crock pots work. Going to actual 180F starts to dry out the bird. The secret is putting the probe in the right location so that it reflects the true internal temperature in the meatiest part.
After 42-45 minutes, oven shuts off and it's done! I've done this often enough before that it varies only by a few minutes.
First step is cutting the string off that was used to truss the bird
After the string is removed, the bird can be carved up. I start with the each leg and thigh together. That's how I eat them. On larger birds its easier to cut the leg and thigh apart after it's separated from the carcass. After doing it a few times, one knows where the joints are to cut through cartilage between bones.
With the legs and thighs removed, I'm down to the wings and breasts plus a couple few minor bits . . .
Similar to the legs and thighs, it's easier to remove the breast with the wing, and to separate the wing from it later. I cut down each side of the vertical cartilage on the middle of the breast bone, taking care to get the meat from under the wishbone without breaking it. When baked properly, the breast with wing will still be juicy and will separate from the rib cage and back very easily in one piece. As with separating the wing, it can be sliced up into pieces, if desired, more easily after it's removed.
It's easy to push the wishbone out of the way to get to the meat under it without damaging it.
With the legs, thighs, wings and breasts removed, there's not much left of the carcass, but were not completely done yet.
Many people don't bother with the back, but there's gold in them thar hills, and meat on that back, including to choice tender parts call the "oysters". One should leave no bird unturned in the search for more meat to eat and not let go to waste. Not as big as the other pieces but there is meat worth carving off the back, even on a bird this small.
If done correctly there's very little left to pick at, or for the local raccoons to scavenge out of the garbage can. The neck is on the right in this photo. A few tiny bits are all that remain.
Those with sharp eyes will have noticed what appeared to be paper lining the pan. It's high temperature baking parchment. Bakers use it for lining baking sheets and pans. It won't burn in the oven at normal baking temperatures. The kind I use for baking meat, fish and poultry has a foil backing making it heavier and stiffer versus just the parchment with no backing for cookies, fudge, etc. If one is take reasonable care not to puncture it with carving fork and knife, it makes cleanup very easy.
All folded up containing the carcass and ready for the garbage. Pan has some baked on stains from long ago, courtesy of a former resident of my home. Never been able to get them completely off.
All that's left now is to carve the wing off of the breast and separate the leg and thigh from the half I'll eat today. The juices and seasoning used are poured over the half on the plate and into the container that has the other half for two days from now.
All that's left of the leg, thigh, wing, breast and back, which isn't much. I've had some SERE training and I'd get ripped good for leaving this much behind!
The other half in a container for the refrigerator to save it for day after tomorrow, with a good portion of the pan drippings saved with it.
Takes me back to when I spent time in the "Great Outdoors" years ago and relied on a knife like the Buck 110 for butchering and carving meat, fish and poultry.
Best Wishes!
John
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