Perform evisceration carefully

Make a shallow horizontal incision between the vent and the keel bone, cutting just through the skin and abdominal wall without piercing the intestines. Reach inside and carefully pull out the viscera in one mass, working your fingers around the lungs and windpipe. Set aside the heart, liver (trim the green bile sac without rupturing it), and gizzard as giblets. Rinse the cavity thoroughly with cold water.

Why It Works

A controlled, shallow cut prevents puncturing the intestines or bile sac, which would contaminate the meat with bacteria and bitter bile. Removing organs as a connected mass reduces the chance of leaving fragments behind. Thorough rinsing flushes residual blood and debris from the body cavity.

Tips

• Use a short, sharp knife to maintain control during the initial incision
• If the bile sac ruptures, immediately rinse the affected area with cold water and trim stained meat
• Remove the crop and windpipe from the neck end before final rinse