Gender politics of eating a roast chicken!!

I've heard of this (on MN, I think) but have never witnessed it and find it bizarre. In our house (and my parents' and in-laws' houses) you ask for what you want or serve yourself from the serving plate. Dh and dd prefer legs, ds and I prefer breast.

Late 40's and from down South ({grin}). This was the norm in our family. Men didn't necessarily get the whole leg, but would get leg meat (esp from a turkey) and ladies got breast.

[quote sqirrelfriends]@ChesterDrawsDoesntExist ugh, I hate that attitude, it stinks of inequality. "Why should the wife and kids have the nice food too, they don't deserve it."

Unfortunately I still see a version of this in a lot of households, kids have tea at 5 which is something quick out the oven and the parents eat a proper dinner later. I admit we do this on occasion with DS when we want to eat later but I love family dinner times and would much rather we all eat the same thing. [/quote]

It's very rare that I ever do that (unless treating the kids to a lazy nuggets meal because they don't want what we're having). We usually all eat the same thing at the same time or husband gets his warmed up if he gets home later.

I recently visited my sister and her kids got a frozen pizza for dinner and were very upset later watching DSis, BIL, our DM and I all tucking into a delicious Chinese takeaway. My kids would have been really insulted to be left out of the big feast dinner.

And what about those of us who have?

We don't dismiss your opinion, aren't so belligerently certain that because we have experienced thing that EVRYONE MUST HAVE!

It is a British thing, for some. Many people have heard of it, have done it, some have re-thought it as they grew older.

Or are we all conniving behind your backs to make up a lie exclude you, make you feel like the odd one out? Pshaw!

@ChesterDrawsDoesntExist ugh, I hate that attitude, it stinks of inequality. "Why should the wife and kids have the nice food too, they don't deserve it."

Unfortunately I still see a version of this in a lot of households, kids have tea at 5 which is something quick out the oven and the parents eat a proper dinner later. I admit we do this on occasion with DS when we want to eat later but I love family dinner times and would much rather we all eat the same thing.

When I was a child (1960s) roast chicken was a Sunday staple. My parents had a thigh each, the two older children had a drumstick each, the two younger ones had a wing each, and we all shared the breast (more for the younger two because the wings weren't very meaty).

If I cook one, everyone (4 of us) gets a thigh or drumstick and we share the breast.

I've never before heard of anyone giving men the leg and women the breast. Extraordinary to do that with turkey when there's always plenty of leg to go round. At Christmas I carve the leg and everyone has a bit of both (unless they only want one type of meat).

I have always done this and not really questioned it.
No skin off my nose, as chicken is horrible.

I this weird attitude goes for other stuff too.

I like a nice sirloin steak. DH has started to like it too (he was brought up eating steak cooked in the oven 😱) and didn't realise that when properly cooked in a frying pan/skillet with butter and garlic that it's actually amazing.
The kids (8, 10 and 13) absolutely love a sirloin as well.

The local butcher and assistant (older, as I believe it's more often a generational thing) were horrified when I ordered 5 sirloins for DH, I and the kids.

Butcher: "Oh no, you'll need sausages for the kids"

::assistants agrees and goes to grab sausages::

Me: "No thanks, definitely steaks please."

Butcher:"How about a bit of mince instead? They'll eat that fried up and a bit of gravy!"

Assistant: "Yeah you don't need steaks. Kids should have a nice burger or something!"

Reader, I got my damn steaks and we all enjoyed the hell out of them! DS 8 probably ate more than the rest of us as he's meat mad.

I know a few folk of that same era who have a similar belief. Sausages for the man and just egg for the wife and kids. Or Steak for the man and a bit of mince for the rest. There was no need, plenty of budget for all but it was a given that it's how it should be at dinner. Very strange. It was mainly MIL's DM and MIL's friends who were/are like that. (Scottish village if it makes any difference)
But not back home for us in Northern England as far as my mum says. Penis portions were a thing but not usually different foods for the man.

I think growing up your mum preferred the breast and your dad preferred the leg. You've probably just noticed this and assumed it was some sort of tradition. Growing up we just ate what we preferred.

I’m Northern and I’ve never heard of that.

Literally never heard of this in my life.

[quote picklemewalnuts]@ApolloandDaphne "and the dog gets the skin."

Possibly the most shocking thing I've read yet.[/quote]

We had this growing up but we kids would fight over chicken wings.

I think I always had less food on roast as once I had cooked it I could just not be bother to eat it.

This is why I now cook dinner bung in serving bowls on table and everyone helps themselves to what portions they want of what food they like and then bubble & squeak for Monday nights tea

Northern too and it was the other way round, adult females got the legs & dark meat, kids and men got the breast.

@ApolloandDaphne "and the dog gets the skin."

Possibly the most shocking thing I've read yet.

Neither do my kids.

The dog gets the wings.

Its why we never really have a whole chicken and I'd rather have a delicious rib roast instead, or pork fillet or loin, or belly.

British born and bred. Never done this. Mum always had the legs cos she loves them.
DH hates the bones so the legs go untouched until I'm ripping them apart stuffing my face like a medieval king every time I walk past the fridge the following day.

The meats have a different taste, it would just go according to who preferred which in my house growing up

I’ve never heard of this. Growing up in my house, my dad and I (I’m female) would have breast meat, as we’re fussy and that’s what we both prefer.
My mum and my brothers like thigh/all the slimy bits/gnawing on cartilage.

My mum would carve if you’re interested in knowing.

Nowadays I usually roast the chicken and DH carves.. for the reason that I don’t enjoy carving. I still have the breast meat because I prefer it and he has whatever he feels like.

I have never heard if this. In my house it is DH who prefers the breast meat, DDs prefer the leg meat and I like both so take whatever is left and the dog gets the skin. As the roaster of the chicken I also get the privilege of carving it and getting to pick over all the lovely juicy bits on the carcass.

I'm Welsh and every Sunday this would happen, my Bampy (grandfather) got the leg and left it on his plate until last, then had a piece of bread to go with it to mop up the gravy, but I never once saw him pick it up with his fingers, he could strip it with his knife and fork!
I always thought this was just normal.
Nice memories.

Mid 40s, northern WC background. Trad grandmother carved the whole bird to a serving plate and was always trying to dish out the ‘brown meat’ as everyone tried to get the breast.