Wild Game Recipes

STUFFED PHEASANT FILETS

FILET PREP -- Remove filet from bone, being careful to leave inner "Tenderloin" attached. Lightly score silverskin side of filet with a sharp knife to minimize shrinkage.
Lay tenderloin open, and make a pocket cut in the thick portion of the fillet opposing the tenderloin.

STUFFING -- 1 fresh french bread, cubed or chopped in a food processor, 1 pound of sausage, 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 cup chicken or pheasant stock.
Seasoning can include using seasoned sausage, such as chorizo (Mexican), cajun, italian, etc., or you can use traditional stuffing seasoning such as sage and thyme.
Brown sausage and saute vegetables in skillet. Place bread and other ingredients in large bowl and mix stock in thoroughly. The stuffing mixture should be like a stiff cookie dough.

FINAL PREP -- Place several tablespoonfuls of stuffing in pocket and cover with tenderloin. Pin tenderloin in place with 2-3 toothpicks and brown filet in small amount of butter or margarine.
Place browned filets in uncovered baking dish and bake at 325 degrees to internal temp of 180 degrees, or 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from baking dish, and make a white gravy using pan drippings, flour and milk.

Serve with gravy.

Options include adding or changing stuffing ingredients, such as sauteed mushrooms, different sausages, or other types of bread, including cornbread.

GROUND PHEASANT, OR PHEASANT SAUSAGE

When preparing filets as above, save meat from thighs, back and upper drumstick and freeze in airtight containers. (Should yield 8-10 ounces per bird.) Other parts can be included, such as shot-up breast pieces of pheasant, quail or ruffed grouse.

When you have accumulated a supply of meat grind with beef fat at about 4-5 parts pheasant with 1 part fat.

For a low-fat, low-cholesterol version of this I've discovered that adding 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil will work as well. This is handy for grinding in small batches in a hand-operated grinder. Bigger batches are best left to a game processor.

This ground meat can be used for patties, meatloaf, hamburger steak, and hamburger gravies. It can also be seasoned to make an excellent breakfast, or italian. Because it is white meat, it will work well for anything that calls for pork sausage.

PHEASANT SOUP

BASIC STOCK -- (Requires about 3 pheasants) After boning the carcass separate legbones, breast bone, and back from pelvis. (Because the pelvic area is often tainted, and contains kidneys it should be discarded.)

Place the bones in a large stockpot with a small amount of cooking oil and 1/2 cup each coarsely chopped onion, carrots and celery. Brown thoroughly on high heat, until vegetables begin to caramelize and the meat is well-done. (Undercooking will cause cloudy stock from blood cooked out of the meat into the stock.) The dark color of the caramelized vegetables makes a rich, dark stock, about the color of tea.

Add water to cover and simmer until meat can be easily removed from bones. Take bones out of stock and strain stock to remove remaining vegetables and scraps. Season to taste.

Remove meat from bones and reserve for soup.

Soup is completed by cooking noodles, rice, wild rice, barley, vegetables, or potatoes in the stock. Meat is added at the last minute to heat through. A small amount of cornstarch dissolved in water can be added to give body to the stock.

A good side dish for pheasants is:

WILD RICE

1 Cup wild rice 1/2 # mushrooms 1/2 Cup slivered almonds 3 Cups chicken broth 4 Tbl butter or margarine salt, pepper and garlic to taste

Brown dry ingredients on medium 10-15 minutes. Place all in casserole, cover with foil and the cover. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.

Can be made in a crock pot. Cooking time about 8 hours on low.

SNOW GOOSE RECIPES

Marinated Wild Goose
 

Snow Goose Kabobs

Bob at jet1@dtgnet.com

BCWF "Becoming An Outdoors-Woman" Workshop Appetizer Recipes

Teriyaki Wildgame Sauce

• 2 ½ lbs. boneless meat (bear, moose, deer, elk, beef, pork etc.)
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup Soya sauce
• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
• Salt & pepper to taste

Slice meat into thin 1/8" strips and place in casserole dish. Mix all ingredients together and pour over meat and stir. Cover and bake at 350 for 1-2 hours.

Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

• 1 lbs. ground meat (moose, deer, bear, elk, beef, pork etc.)
• ½ cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. season salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• ¼" cubed cheese (sharp is better)

Mix meat with all ingredients except cheese, shape meat into balls with a small piece of cheese inside. Best if chilled for an hour, but not necessary. Pan fry in oil or deep fry, nice for fondues.

Rolled Schnitzel

• 2 large boneless steaks (moose, deer, elk, pronghorn, caribou, bear, cougar, etc.)
• 1 LB bacon, salami or spicy sausage
• Mix: (will curdle a bit)
• ½ cup of margarine melted
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Mix:
• ½ cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 cup of fine crushed Corn Flakes
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. parsley
• ½ tsp. paprika
• Salt & pepper

Pound steak until ¼" thickness, cut into 2" wide strips, top with salami or bacon. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Dip in moist ingredients, then coat with dry, place in greased pan and cover. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 20-30 minutes more.

Sandra's Grouse Fingers

• 3 grouse breasts and legs
• ½ cup flour (approx.)
• Wash, bone and cut grouse into finger length strips. Coat each strip in flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. soya sauce
• Pinch of salt, pepper and onion powder
• 1 ½ cup bread crumbs (approx.)
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• Mix eggs, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper and onion powder together. Dip floured grouse strips into mixture, then coat in fine bread crumbs. Deep fry strips in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Honey Mustard Sauce (for Sandra’s Grouse Fingers)

• ½ cup Mayonnaise (mayonnaise not Miracle Whip)
• 2 tbsp. liquid honey
• 1 tsp. mustard

Mix mayonnaise, honey and mustard. Amounts can be varied depending on tastes

Field Dressing Tip:

Dress grouse when first shot by stepping on wings, breast up, wings out, head at the top, take hold of the feet and steadily pull towards you. The grouse will separate, leaving you holding the feet, legs and entrails. On the ground remain the exposed breast, heart and liver attached to the wings. Remove the legs if it’s a fair size grouse, you may get a few finger strips after you remove all the sinew. At least one wing must be left on for identification until you reach home.