cooking pheasant breasts

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

My experience cooking any wild bird - be it grouse, pheasant, goose or
duck - it that the breast meat is lean. I've gotten good results wrapping
the breast meat in bacon and roasting it until barely 'done' (size
dependant - bigger breasts take much longer to cook). Just be careful not
to over-cook them because the meat is very lean compared to a domestic bird.

MJB

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

This is what the guide told hubby to do. I have never eaten pheasant
so I don't know about the gamey taste. Jan

MJB said:

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

My experience cooking any wild bird - be it grouse, pheasant, goose or
duck - it that the breast meat is lean. I've gotten good results wrapping
the breast meat in bacon and roasting it until barely 'done' (size
dependant - bigger breasts take much longer to cook). Just be careful not
to over-cook them because the meat is very lean compared to a domestic bird.

MJB

Thanke, they are very lean, so I will wrap bacon around them and roast
in the oven. Thanks so much. Jan

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

This is what the guide told hubby to do. I have never eaten pheasant
so I don't know about the gamey taste. Jan

Well, I've never had pheasant, but intuitively, it seems wrong to treat a
new food with a heavy handed flavor like Italian dressing. And, compared to
the number of people in this newsgroup who've eaten chicken, those who've
had pheasant may represent a very small number. So, I'd check for recipes at
sites like this, too:

http://www.starchefs.com/recipe_search.php

and

http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=pheasant&x=0&y=0

Jan said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

As mjb notes, pheasant is lean, so benefits greatly from cooking by a
wet method. I alway braise pheasant in a mushroom gravy. Make up a
nice espagnole sauce with added fresh mushrooms and braise in sauce pan
for an hour or two till meat is tender. Yum!

nb

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

Usually they taste strong, some people dislikes them for theyr
"kind-of-liver-ish" taste, which is a little less intense than in pigeons.
They are usually a bit sour.
For breasts I'd tend to a ragout, ideally to serve on pappardelle.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

Usually they taste strong, some people dislikes them for theyr
"kind-of-liver-ish" taste, which is a little less intense than in pigeons.
They are usually a bit sour.
For breasts I'd tend to a ragout, ideally to serve on pappardelle.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

Usually they taste strong, some people dislikes them for theyr
"kind-of-liver-ish" taste, which is a little less intense than in pigeons.
They are usually a bit sour.
For breasts I'd tend to a ragout, ideally to serve on pappardelle.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

Usually they taste strong, some people dislikes them for theyr
"kind-of-liver-ish" taste, which is a little less intense than in pigeons.
They are usually a bit sour.
For breasts I'd tend to a ragout, ideally to serve on pappardelle.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jan wrote:

As mjb notes, pheasant is lean, so benefits greatly from cooking by a wet
method. I alway braise pheasant in a mushroom gravy. Make up a nice
espagnole sauce with added fresh mushrooms and braise in sauce pan for an
hour or two till meat is tender. Yum!

nb

I agree about braising pheasant, provided I have the whole bird and not just
the breast. The tough thighs and legs benefit from the long, slow cooking a
couple of hours of brasing provide - breasts, not so much which will
over-cook pretty quickly IMO. The one thing I don't recommend is using any
sauce that is tomato-based with wild fowl. I've never had good results
making a fricasse or anything similar.

MJB

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jan wrote:

As mjb notes, pheasant is lean, so benefits greatly from cooking by a wet
method. I alway braise pheasant in a mushroom gravy. Make up a nice
espagnole sauce with added fresh mushrooms and braise in sauce pan for an
hour or two till meat is tender. Yum!

nb

I agree about braising pheasant, provided I have the whole bird and not just
the breast. The tough thighs and legs benefit from the long, slow cooking a
couple of hours of brasing provide - breasts, not so much which will
over-cook pretty quickly IMO. The one thing I don't recommend is using any
sauce that is tomato-based with wild fowl. I've never had good results
making a fricasse or anything similar.

MJB

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jan wrote:

As mjb notes, pheasant is lean, so benefits greatly from cooking by a wet
method. I alway braise pheasant in a mushroom gravy. Make up a nice
espagnole sauce with added fresh mushrooms and braise in sauce pan for an
hour or two till meat is tender. Yum!

nb

I agree about braising pheasant, provided I have the whole bird and not just
the breast. The tough thighs and legs benefit from the long, slow cooking a
couple of hours of brasing provide - breasts, not so much which will
over-cook pretty quickly IMO. The one thing I don't recommend is using any
sauce that is tomato-based with wild fowl. I've never had good results
making a fricasse or anything similar.

MJB

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jan wrote:

As mjb notes, pheasant is lean, so benefits greatly from cooking by a wet
method. I alway braise pheasant in a mushroom gravy. Make up a nice
espagnole sauce with added fresh mushrooms and braise in sauce pan for an
hour or two till meat is tender. Yum!

nb

I agree about braising pheasant, provided I have the whole bird and not just
the breast. The tough thighs and legs benefit from the long, slow cooking a
couple of hours of brasing provide - breasts, not so much which will
over-cook pretty quickly IMO. The one thing I don't recommend is using any
sauce that is tomato-based with wild fowl. I've never had good results
making a fricasse or anything similar.

MJB

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Oct 8, 11:13 pm, "MJB" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Thanke, they are very lean, so I will wrap bacon around them and roast
in the oven. Thanks so much. Jan

Good luck. And if you've never eaten wild fowl before DO NOT CHEW BIG
BITES. Take small portions and before you risk your teeth, press the piece
hard against the roof of your mouth to make very certain no birdshot is
trapped in the flesh. Or shred it on your plate with a fork like you would
fish, searching for bones. Chomping down on a piece of steel shot is not
like the old lead birdshot we used when I was a boy - lead will conform
under pressure, steel shot will not...

MJB

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Oct 8, 11:13 pm, "MJB" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Thanke, they are very lean, so I will wrap bacon around them and roast
in the oven. Thanks so much. Jan

Good luck. And if you've never eaten wild fowl before DO NOT CHEW BIG
BITES. Take small portions and before you risk your teeth, press the piece
hard against the roof of your mouth to make very certain no birdshot is
trapped in the flesh. Or shred it on your plate with a fork like you would
fish, searching for bones. Chomping down on a piece of steel shot is not
like the old lead birdshot we used when I was a boy - lead will conform
under pressure, steel shot will not...

MJB

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Oct 8, 11:13 pm, "MJB" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Thanke, they are very lean, so I will wrap bacon around them and roast
in the oven. Thanks so much. Jan

Good luck. And if you've never eaten wild fowl before DO NOT CHEW BIG
BITES. Take small portions and before you risk your teeth, press the piece
hard against the roof of your mouth to make very certain no birdshot is
trapped in the flesh. Or shred it on your plate with a fork like you would
fish, searching for bones. Chomping down on a piece of steel shot is not
like the old lead birdshot we used when I was a boy - lead will conform
under pressure, steel shot will not...

MJB

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Oct 8, 11:13 pm, "MJB" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Thanke, they are very lean, so I will wrap bacon around them and roast
in the oven. Thanks so much. Jan

Good luck. And if you've never eaten wild fowl before DO NOT CHEW BIG
BITES. Take small portions and before you risk your teeth, press the piece
hard against the roof of your mouth to make very certain no birdshot is
trapped in the flesh. Or shred it on your plate with a fork like you would
fish, searching for bones. Chomping down on a piece of steel shot is not
like the old lead birdshot we used when I was a boy - lead will conform
under pressure, steel shot will not...

MJB

The message <[email hidden]>
from Jan <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All, My husband went pheasant hunting today and got 2 birds. The
guide dressed them and I have 2 beautiful breasts. (Hush Sheldon). I
have them marinating in an Italian dressing. Question is, how do I
cook them? I was thinking on the grill, but for how long and how will
I know when they are cooked through? Or do I roast them in the oven?
Thanks for any advice. Jan

Why marinate them? Do they have a strong taste you need to disguise?

Quoted message said:

This is what the guide told hubby to do. I have never eaten pheasant
so I don't know about the gamey taste. Jan

Pheasant is traditionally hung in a cool place for a few days before
plucking and cooking. The (harmless) start of decomposition tenderises
the meat, and that's what causes the gamey taste to develop. Very fresh
pheasant meat like yours may still be a little firm and dry which is
probably why a marinade was suggested, to tenderise it .

In case you ever get another, I recommend a marinade of red wine, olive
oil and a spoonful of sherry.

Crumb some white bread and fresh herb such as parsley in the
processor, (or, grate and chop them) season, pick the meat out of the
marinade without drying it, and and roll it in the crumbs to coat it.
Then pan-fry in butter hot enough to sizzle; until gently golden,
turning once. Good with fried fresh mushrooms (same pan) and very thin
french fries, aka, "game chips".

Janet.