Quartering a Bird and Removing the Legs

Quartering a Bird

Instead of leaving the bird halved, you can continue the cutting process to produce quarters: two leg pieces and two breast pieces. Simply make a cut between the legs and the breast, at the point where the thigh meets the breast.

Removing the Legs from a Whole Bird

Instead of first removing the backbone, you may opt to remove the legs first. This can be done before or after the wing tips are removed. Make a cut in the skin where the leg and the breast join. Then bend the leg away from the breast, popping the leg away and exposing the ball jointa. Cut through the joint to remove the leg. The leg can then be separated into two pieces: the drumstick and the thigh. Turn the leg so that you can see a line of fat running over the joint. Use it as a guide to mark the spot where you can easily cut through the joint.