smoking/grilling pheasant/duck

[beaner]

does anybody have some ideas on smoking/.grilling pheasant and duck. will be going on a hunt in october and will need to cook some of these there and when we get back. the birds wont have the skin on.

 

[mdboatbum]

Can't give you any help on duck, but pheasant is much like a chicken. Brine for a few hours (this will not only enhance flavor and moisture, but also get rid of some of the "gamey" taste, leech the blood and also draw out some of the shot.) then spatchcock and smoke at higher temps. Careful though, it's brutally easy to dry out. Wrapping in bacon, especially without the skin will help retain some moisture as well. Depending on the age of the bird and whether they're wild or farm raised (release) birds, a lot of people stew pheasants. For a big older wild rooster, this might be the best way to go.

I once did a variation on a "Turducken" with a chuckar stuffed in a pheasant. If I recall, I used regular bread/cornbread stuffing in the middle. I called it the "Little Phuckar". (These were farm raised birds by the way, from a hunt at a game preserve)

It was surprisingly good. Probably would work with a duck as well, but you're on your own as far as the name :)

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• mdboatbum
• Aug 14, 2012

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• mdboatbum
• Aug 14, 2012

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• mdboatbum
• Aug 14, 2012

 

[beaner]

thanks for the insight. i think the bacon is a definite. are you thinking 300-350 as the higher temp? maybe for about 3 hrs. sorry, i am somewhat new to some of the terminology. spatchcock??

 

[mdboatbum]

I do 375˚ until the breast meat hits 160˚. Usually 45 minutes or less for a 2lb pheasant. Spatchcocking is basically butterflying the bird. Cut out the backbone, break the breastbone and then cut it out so the bird lays flat. Speeds cook time and lets the breast and hind quarter meat (what would be white and dark meat on a chicken) cook at the same rate. There are a bunch of tutorials on here and on Youtube.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Bum gave some great info. Don't over cook the birds! Unlike Chicken, Game birds are best eaten Med/Rare to Medium if Smoking or Grilling. Moist cooking like Braising and Stew work well with birds but the meat is cooked until it is falling off the bone. You will find Hanging/Aging the Birds at least 2-3 days in the refrigerator will make a big difference in tenderness and flavor. You need the meat to go through Rigor before eating, yes you can eat a fresh kill but they are better after a couple of days. Brining and covering with Bacon is a good plan as well. Roasting at High temps for a short time works great. Indirect Roasting on a 450*F Grill will get the bird cooked without the dripping Bacon grease flaring up. Since they will be skinless the low and slow smoking at 225*F will work nicely too...Here is some usefull info. Good Luck...JJ

http://www.cookeryonline.com/Game/Preparing Game.htm

 

[mdboatbum]

Game birds are best eaten Med/Rare to Medium if Smoking or Grilling.

I have a question. I know wild birds are pretty much safe from salmonella, thus they can be eaten at medium rare/medium. I've always kinda worried however about farm raised birds like those taken from game farms/preserves. It's my understanding (assumption) that the salmonella comes from the pens in which poultry is raised, primarily the less than sanitary conditions involved in industrial farming. Since there aren't many wild upland game birds around these parts anymore, we usually do our 2 or 3 annual hunts at game farms in MD or PA which raise (and process after the hunt) their own birds. There are usually large "flight pens", which are essentially huge aviaries where the birds can run around and fly in as close to natural conditions as possible. There are, however, 1000 to 1500 birds in an area less than an acre in size. In addition, the conditions surrounding the processing the birds really aren't what you'd call sanitary. Since these aren't "food service" facilities, I don't believe they fall under the same scrutiny as a commercial poultry operation. However, the birds are plucked, gutted, packed and in some cases frozen all right there. I've made the mistake of wandering into the processing areas just to see what went on a couple times. It actually put me off eating game birds for a while.

My question is, is salmonella a concern with farm raised game birds? Or is it species specific and game birds aren't affected?

Sorry for the thread hijack, this is just something I've always wondered about.

 

[chef jimmyj]

You are correct. If the conditions are seriously nasty any bird can carry the Salmonella Bacteria in it's digestive tract then poor handling can spread the bacteria to otherwise uninfected birds. The main problem with Chicken as compared to other poultry is the processing and handling. Thousands of birds are eviscerated with the same infected equipment, the birds are chilled with infected water. Meat, Juices and all are packed into 40Lb cases and transported. There is a lot of contact time between the meat and infected liquids. Game birds although raised in similar conditions are handled on a more individual bases and are " usually " more thoroughly cleaned and individual wrapped. Less contact less risk. Of course you bear some risk just like eating a Med/Rare Hamburger. You want to lower your risk further...Shoot, Gut, Clean and Package your own birds then you know Exactly how they were handled...JJ

 

[mdboatbum]

Thanks Chef!! Maybe I'll clean my own from now on. Luckily my eyes aren't what they used to be, nor are my reflexes, so there are fewer and fewer birds to worry about cleaning with each passing year.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Commercial ducks aren't processed in a way that's much different from chickens or turkeys.
All poultry is susceptible to salmonella and e-coli.
The USDA's position is that duck should be cooked to 165 degrees, but like eggs, many people ignore that advice, myself included.


~Martin

 

[chef jimmyj]

Commercial ducks aren't processed in a way that's much different from chickens or turkeys.
All poultry is susceptible to salmonella and e-coli.
The USDA's position is that duck should be cooked to 165 degrees, but like eggs, many people ignore that advice, myself included.
~Martin

 So True!...JJ