Securing chicken with string before cooking so as to hold its shape is called what?

Trussing is the act of tying meat, most often poultry, so that it cooks evenly and keeps its shape nicely. There are other definitions of the word truss, but these don’t relate to cooking. For instance, people use trusses for certain injuries to hold them in place. Another definition of truss is a semi-triangular device used in architecture on structures like a truss bridge.

The culinary use of trussing is most likely ancient. Flat meat that was stuffed could be rolled and tied so the stuffing did not fall out and the meat was flavored by it. People may routinely employ trussing for certain things like making chicken cordon bleu.