O consenso de sites que eu vi que parecem bastante credíveis é que você precisa de um período de descanso para evitar a tenacidade no produto final. Eu especulo que isso é permitir que o rigor mortis venha e vá.
De acordo com o artigo do Girl's Guide to Butter, Chicken Butchering 101 :
And now the final step in the butchering process – put them in a larger tub filled with cold water (ours comes straight from the ground and is very cold), and let them sit and relax till the evening (if you’ve butchered in the morning) or overnight ...
Note that it is important to let your chickens rest and relax in this fashion before cooking them, because, if you cook them right away (not that most of you, unlike me, would want to), they are likely to be tough.
Da mesma forma, o Self Suficiente Home Acre Como Açougueiro um frango artigo diz:
[P]ut it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. If the meat is not allowed to relax, it will be tough. If you plan to freeze the chicken, you can leave it in the refrigerator overnight or you can freeze it right away. Just be sure to pull the frozen bird out and let it thaw completely before cooking it. I have had good luck with this method.