Oso - 11-20-2005 at 12:59 PM
Knowing your background, I would hazard a guess you might have a killer recipe for pheasant...?
Went out yesterday in Northern Sonora with Mexican friends. Four of us and 3 shotguns. I was "officially" just along for the ride and shared an old
Remington Wingmaster pump with my neighbor's son. By noon, we had 12 "gallos y gallinas", 10 quail, and let's just say "un chingo" of dove."
Rather than carry everything home, a big part of their tradition is eating on the spot (we took no sandwiches, just salt and an old refrigerator shelf
for a grill. We took a break under some big eucalyptus trees and sat down to make a huge pile of feathers. Unlike the usual Yuma style, where we
just rip out the skinless breast and throw the rest of the dove away, we plucked them, leaving neck,wings and legs (w/feet) on them. Then split the
breast in front, gutted and washed them and sprinkled them with salt. Then made a mesquite fire with the grill on some rocks and roasted the split
birds whole. The skin and feet dissappeared and the neck, legs and wings got so crisp and crunchy you could eat bones and all. The backbone was the
only thing not eaten. Walking since dawn without breakfast made the best spice. They were delicious!
I want to do a couple faisan today. I've got a simple one with apple cider, cream of chicken soup etc., but thought you might know a better way.
Pompano - 11-21-2005 at 04:37 PM
Oso...sorry I didn't reply sooner. Been kind of busy on other computer projects and not posting too much these days. I hope this recipe is not too
late to help you enjoy those pheasants.
I only cook my birds by marinating boneless breasts and leg/thighs then cooking on the grill.
My bird marinade works great on all upland birds...even those that have been in the freezer a while taste great after marinating all night. I use a
tupperware style marinade container that you can flip over to marinate both sides.
Contents:
1/2 cup (fresh) lemon juice
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dijon style mustard
3 cloves garlic (through press)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
(Note: I generally use more garlic 'cause we like it and more pepper since I can't measure that small. The mustard usually is approximated since
I'm squirting directly into the pan.)
Put it all in a small saucepan and heat until bubbly (don't overheat). Let it cool to something close to room temperature. Marinate at least 3 hours,
but I prefer overnight. Spoon the marinade over the pieces as you barbeque. These cook fast so watch out for overcooking....good luck...
[Edited on 11-21-2005 by Pompano]
Oso - 11-22-2005 at 07:55 AM
Too late for those 2 birds but an excellent reason to go get some more! I ended up doing a very simple crockpot thing with cream of mushroom soup,
carrots and potatoes. Your marinade sounds much better! Can't wait to go back.
BTW, while we were out there we ran into a bunch of gringos with a pro guide group out of Hermosillo, all in orange jackets. They'd come all the way
north to right here, just across the border. The Ag valley around SLRC is loaded with birds.
The valley on the U.S. side has dove that come over, but few quail and pheasant. The difference is the efficiency of the agriculture. Here we use
laser leveling and squeeze production out of every square inch with only a couple of large corporations farming it all. On the other side are many
small holdings, lots of fallow fields grown over in weeds. Agricultural inefficiency is great for wildlife!
[Edited on 11-22-2005 by Oso]