Fun Facts About Giblets

While the pronunciation war rages on between the "J-j-jiblet" army of fun and the "G-g-giblet" battalion of purists, I thought it important to unstuff this mysterious edible...

Food Safety and Inspection Service: "Giblets (pronounced JIBB-letz; also GIBB-letz) are the heart, liver and gizzard of poultry. The word comes from Middle English "gibelet," which in turn came from "gibier" -- Old French for "game." The English altered the word to "giberet," and it formerly meant "a game stew." Today many cooks use giblets to make gravy; others broil or fry them to make appetizers or main dishes."
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"the neck of the bird is not a giblet."
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"In a poultry slaughter plant, giblets must be chilled to 40° F or below within two hours of slaughtering the birds."
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"inspection is mandatory but grading is voluntary. There are no grading standards for giblets"
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"If a bird is labeled "with giblets," it will contain at least half of each giblet. Parts of the giblets may have broken off during handling or may be missing due to trimming."
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"USDA allows poultry processors to use labels stating that giblets may be missing -- or, "without giblets" (commonly known as "wogs" in the poultry industry)."
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"At home, immediately place giblets (or poultry containing giblets) in a refrigerator that maintains 40° F or below, and use within 1 or 2 days; or freeze at 0° F or below. If kept frozen continuously, they will be safe indefinitely. For best quality, use giblets within 3-4 months of freezing."
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"There are three safe ways to defrost giblets and poultry containing them: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave oven. Never defrost giblets on the kitchen counter."
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"Cooked giblets should have a firm texture. Casseroles containing giblets should be cooked to 160°F. Stuffing should be cooked to 165°F. Chicken giblets are commonly fried or broiled. Leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours."

And here are 105 recipes for giblets!

See you tomorrow at the GOGG.