Organic or naturally fed free range chicken breast?

diegowhite

Hi, I am looking for the cheapest supplier of chicken that has either organic or naturally fed free range chicken?
I want to buy in bulk circa 30 breasts at a time.
I know tesco has free range but I also know that those chickens are fed hormones which I don't want.
I'm open to using a good butcher if someone can recommend them either (blackrock/ballsbridge areas), just don't want to pay as high as €30/kg

Mellor

diegowhite wrote: »

I know tesco has free range but I also know that those chickens are fed hormones which I don't want.

Really? How do you know that?

Just genuinely curious. I was under the impression that the public perception of hormones is grossly exaggerated. And they weren't that common.
I know (thanks to KFC poster) than here in Oz all chicken is hormone free.

diegowhite

Mellor wrote: »

Really? How do you know that?

Just genuinely curious. I was under the impression that the public perception of hormones is grossly exaggerated. And they weren't that common.
I know (thanks to KFC poster) than here in Oz all chicken is hormone free.

Came from a buyer for tesco, free range just means they roam free for some portion of the day but has nothing to do with their diet.

nbrady20009

The use of hormones in Irish poultry production is uncommon, most likely speculation I'd say.

bbam

diegowhite wrote: »

Came from a buyer for tesco, free range just means they roam free for some portion of the day but has nothing to do with their diet.

And of course while they roam free they eat grass, insects and worms..
I'm familliar with two free range farms and the chickens spend a good portion of their time outdoors... From a commercial perspective I think its about as good as it gets...

Organic, I don't feel its warranted considering the price premium.

two wheels good

I'd investigate a local farmers' market. Usually a source of good quality, really fresh foods and a chance to meet the producers. Good poultry, bacon, lamb at my local markets - worth the extra price premium I think. Maybe a regular bulk orders would get a decent discount.

El_Dangeroso

I don't think there is such a thing as a 'natural' fed chicken. Cage chicken are fed a mix of soy and corn. Organic chicken is fed organic soy and organic corn, with maybe a bit of supplementing with greens and flax and things they have scavenged while wandering around the yard.

I'm going to come out and say it though, I don't like the taste of pastured organic chicken. Free range is fine, but maybe I'm cooking pastured wrong but it's just really tough no matter what I do.

Beef and lamb (Irish naturally) are just way healthier, environmentally and otherwise.

Orla K

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

I'm going to come out and say it though, I don't like the taste of pastured organic chicken. Free range is fine, but maybe I'm cooking pastured wrong but it's just really tough no matter what I do.

For a whole chicken, I wonder would par boiling it then slow roasting(maybe over water) help. I've never had pastured organic chicken I don't know what it's like. I'd also add a load of butter to it and cut the skin and put some between the flesh and skin(I do the butter with most roast chickens it's really nice with flavoured butter)

jsd1004

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

I don't think there is such a thing as a 'natural' fed chicken. Cage chicken are fed a mix of soy and corn. Organic chicken is fed organic soy and organic corn, with maybe a bit of supplementing with greens and flax and things they have scavenged while wandering around the yard.

I'm going to come out and say it though, I don't like the taste of pastured organic chicken. Free range is fine, but maybe I'm cooking pastured wrong but it's just really tough no matter what I do.

Beef and lamb (Irish naturally) are just way healthier, environmentally and otherwise.

Organic chicken is a very different product to free range chicken. It is tougher because it is older. An organic chicken is several weeks older than a non organic (including free range) chicken as it has to gain weight naturally. A regular bird goes from chick to shelf in a couple of weeks and is pumped with food to gain bulk. A free range one spends a proportion of its life outdoors but is still pumped with food. An organic one has to be both free range and organic hence the large difference in price.

El_Dangeroso

jsd1004 wrote: »

Organic chicken is a very different product to free range chicken. It is tougher because it is older. An organic chicken is several weeks older than a non organic (including free range) chicken as it has to gain weight naturally. A regular bird goes from chick to shelf in a couple of weeks and is pumped with food to gain bulk. A free range one spends a proportion of its life outdoors but is still pumped with food. An organic one has to be both free range and organic hence the large difference in price.

Price is not really the issue (still works out cheaper per portion than cage chicken breasts - especially if you make a stock from the carcass), I just can't get it to taste nice.

Can someone provide a foolproof recipe to make a tough aul' bird tender?

Orla K

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Can someone provide a foolproof recipe to make a tough aul' bird tender?

I don't know any but I'm thinking if you look for a recipe that was published in a time when that farming practice was the norm you might find one. The oldest recipe book I have is from the 60's, if I ever get out to my uncles there might be an older one out there and I'd have a look.
You could always ask over in cooking and recipes too.

nbrady20009

jsd1004 wrote: »

Organic chicken is a very different product to free range chicken. It is tougher because it is older. An organic chicken is several weeks older than a non organic (including free range) chicken as it has to gain weight naturally. A regular bird goes from chick to shelf in a couple of weeks and is pumped with food to gain bulk. A free range one spends a proportion of its life outdoors but is still pumped with food. An organic one has to be both free range and organic hence the large difference in price.

Not quite two weeks. Its actually ~30-32 days, compared to 50-70 days for free range and organic. All of these are commercial hybrids.

For a traditional breed, slaughter can be up to 18 weeks.

Dotcomdolly

Yes! Try this brining method , you don't have to do the spicing. I brine chicken breasts or mini fillets and then just bake them with evoo, s&p and they are very tasty and juicy.

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2009/06/09/the-best-chicken-you-will-ever-eat-ever/

DublinFly

diegowhite wrote: »

Hi, I am looking for the cheapest supplier of chicken that has either organic or naturally fed free range chicken?
I want to buy in bulk circa 30 breasts at a time.
I know tesco has free range but I also know that those chickens are fed hormones which I don't want.
I'm open to using a good butcher if someone can recommend them either (blackrock/ballsbridge areas), just don't want to pay as high as €30/kg

Diegowhite, did you find any decent supplier of free range? I think the average supermarket price is 22 to 24 euro per kilo of free enage chicken brest. Aldi have frre range for about 17 e a kilo. What did u find? cheers

sarenka

nbrady20009 wrote: »

The use of hormones in Irish poultry production is uncommon, most likely speculation I'd say.

unfortunately you are not right (I wish you were!).
Chickens and pigs are farmed in horrible conditions and all of hormone and antibiotic enriched feeds are used. Not a brainer - how do you think you can get a chicken breast as cheap as €1 or whole chicken for less than €4!

There are good and even great farms producing organic free range poultry and pork.

sarenka

try:
http://www.absolutelyorganic.ie/organic/32/Chickens.htm
http://www.organicmeat.ie/online-store/organic-poultry/s/

El_Dangeroso

sarenka wrote: »

unfortunately you are not right (I wish you were!).
Chickens and pigs are farmed in horrible conditions and all of hormone and antibiotic enriched feeds are used. Not a brainer - how do you think you can get a chicken breast as cheap as €1 or whole chicken for less than €4!

There are good and even great farms producing organic free range poultry and pork.

Can you link to a source for what you are saying regarding antibiotic enriched feeds? I have never heard of this. Unnecessary antimicrobial usage is strictly prohibited in the EU.

Heat_Wave

Which one do most people who are training buy, normal or free range?

I've bought free range all my life but recently purchased normal fillets (as I can no longer afford to buy 2 free range fillets every day!!) and I found the normal fillets to have a lemony taste!?!

sarenka

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Can you link to a source for what you are saying regarding antibiotic enriched feeds? I have never heard of this. Unnecessary antimicrobial usage is strictly prohibited in the EU.

There are many things strongly prohibited but regulations and legislation is not worth a thing when strict enforcement isn't in place.

unnecessary becomes necessary due to conditions these animals are farmed in.

We tend to think this is a foreign (USA/Asia) problem and when it comes to beef and lamb we are truly blessed with great quality products as long as they are Irish, but pork and chicken are a very different story.

Why don't you trace your chicken fillets back to their origin and have a look at the "farm"...

El_Dangeroso

sarenka wrote: »

There are many things strongly prohibited but regulations and legislation is not worth a thing when strict enforcement isn't in place.

unnecessary becomes necessary due to conditions these animals are farmed in.

We tend to think this is a foreign (USA/Asia) problem and when it comes to beef and lamb we are truly blessed with great quality products as long as they are Irish, but pork and chicken are a very different story.

Why don't you trace your chicken fillets back to their origin and have a look at the "farm"...

I'm sorry but that's just speculation and heresay, I'm going to need a legitimate, even semi-legitimate source that this even might be the case.

I'm not saying the conditions for some pigs and chickens aren't horrendous, they clearly are. But I've never seen evidence of antibiotic usage in feed.

rubadub

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Can someone provide a foolproof recipe to make a tough aul' bird tender?

Some people soak chicken in buttermilk. I think the acid tenderises it.

I first heard of this looking up commercial chipper southern fried chicken coatings, they gave instructions for the chippers on how to do it. It was soaked overnight in buttermilk. Lots of US recipes call for it too.

Tiddlypeeps

sarenka wrote: »

unfortunately you are not right (I wish you were!).
Chickens and pigs are farmed in horrible conditions and all of hormone and antibiotic enriched feeds are used. Not a brainer - how do you think you can get a chicken breast as cheap as €1 or whole chicken for less than €4!

There are good and even great farms producing organic free range poultry and pork.

How else could they sell chicken so cheap is not legitimate evidence that what you say is true. If you want anybody to take your word for it you are going to need more than that.