Chicken - More Than Just Big Breast

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posted on

July 9, 2021

Chicken breast is by far one of our most popular selling products.

It's easy to see why people gravitate towards this delicious, simple cut. Chicken breast is easy to cook, can be used for various meals, and almost always turns out moist and juicy.

But there are more parts to a chicken than just the big breast portion.

They have meaty dark thighs and delicious drumsticks.

I want to take a minute to reintroduce the rest of the chicken...

Let's start with the wonderfully delicious and juicy drumsticks:

(click the picture for the recipe)

I'm not quite sure why drumsticks are not as popular. They are great finger food, are moist and juicy, and have fabulous dark meat. Drumsticks are a hit among kids since they love eating with their fingers!

We cooked up a batch of drumsticks the other day. A super simple meal that made everyone happy. We were all fighting for the last drumstick!

Next are the chicken thighs:

If you are looking for a very satisfying meal, chicken thighs will fit the bill. Chicken thighs have an abundance of dark, juicy, flavorful meat on them by leaving the skin on your lock in all that moist and savory chicken flavor.

Finally, you have the humble chicken wings:

Chicken wings have become very popular in the last decade. They are great finger food for game day or a family BBQ.

All these cuts are the "forgotten" parts of the chicken. I argue that they are more favorable than chicken breast. And, these are significantly more economical than the popular chicken breast.

You are in luck. Right now, all these alternative cuts are nicely discounted as we make way for our new batch of chicken. It is the perfect opportunity to stock up a bit while giving some overlooked cuts of our premium pastured poultry a test drive.

You won't be sorry!

We are your one-stop shop for pastured chicken in the Boise area.

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More on the Big Four: JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef

🧩 “Who Controls Your Beef?” 🥩 The Big Four: 85% of America’s Beef Controlled by 4 Companies 💬 “When just four companies process most of the beef in our country, we don’t just lose competition — we lose connection.” — Liz Cunningham Panel 1: The Players ProcessorOwnership% of MarketKnown ForJBS USABrazil (JBS S.A.)~25%Largest meat processor in the world; ransomware attack 2021 shut down 20% of U.S. meat supplyTyson FoodsU.S.~22%COVID shutdowns led to mass cattle backlogs; ongoing price-fixing litigationCargill Meat SolutionsU.S.~22%Commodity-driven global agribusiness; joint settlements for antitrust violationsNational Beef (Marfrig Global Foods)Brazil~18%Foreign-owned; major importer/exporter balancing U.S. beef and South American supply 📊 Together: 85–87% of all beef processed in the United States Panel 2: The Hidden Costs 💵 Price Control: Coordinated market behavior drives rancher profits down and retail prices up. 🥩 Supply Risk: When one major plant shuts down — like JBS in 2021 — U.S. beef supply can drop 20% overnight. 🌎 Foreign Influence: Two of the four are Brazilian-owned, meaning U.S. beef production decisions are made overseas. 🐄 Lost Independence: Family ranchers can’t compete with massive volume pricing. Processing access becomes bottlenecked. Panel 3: The COVID Reality Check 🚫 Plant shutdowns → millions of pounds of cattle euthanized 🍽️ Empty grocery shelves → record-high prices 🤝 Small processors couldn’t expand due to USDA red tape “It’s not the cow. It’s the how. Our food system isn’t broken — it’s bottlenecked.” — Liz Cunningham Panel 4: What We’re Doing Differently At Cunningham Ranch & Northwest Premium Meats: Locally processed beef from Jordan Valley, Oregon/Treasure Valley, Idaho USDA inspected, small-batch handled Full traceability from pasture to plate Dollars stay local — supporting Northwest families - Cliff's Country Market is now the home of Cunningham Pastured Meats💚 Food You Can Trust — From Families Who Care Panel 5: What You Can Do 🛒 Buy Local Beef — direct from ranchers and small butchers and locally owned family markets like Cliff's Country Market in Caldwell, ID 🗣️ Ask Questions — know who raised and processed your meat 🤝 Support Legislation — like the PRIME Act that gives small processors freedom 🍽️ Share the Story — because change starts around the dinner table 📍 Learn More at CunninghamPasturedMeats.com

Subscribe & Save 5% Storewide + Free Item with Every Order of $175+!

Subscribe & Save 5% Storewide + Free Item with Every Order of $175+!

Chicken - More Than Just Big Breast

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