Cut up a whole chicken with a knife

Do you want to know how to save a few bucks in your kitchen without much effort? Buy your meat in whole pieces. For poultry buy the whole bird. You won't be having roasted chicken everyday so what you need to do afterwards is to cut up the bird using the least amount of cuts.

To do that you'll need 1 tool with a heavy and sharp blade. Go for the chef's knife or a cutlass. That way you won't need to apply excessive force. It's easier and safer.

1 bird (chicken, turkey, pheasant, partridge)

1. Before any cutting take your time to look at the bird and identify where the joints of the skeleton are. Remember to clean your hands before you start working. And use a clean surface and clean and dry tools. Feel free to wash your hands more than once during the work. Getting rid of the bird fat avoids the knife to slip from your hands.
2. Start by separating the legs from the body. You can help with your hand. Identify the joint and cut through it. Next cut the legs in two.
3. Do the same for the wings.
4. Find the cartilage between the chest and the lower body and cut through it. If you wish cut the chest in half.
5. Place the bird vertically. Find the point where the the muscle from the chest joins with the ribcage and cut from top to bottom.