Smokin Pheasants

[eyeguy 54]

Treat the like chicken? I am doing 4 Sunday or Monday. I hear people wrao em in bacon. Do they still get good and smokey?

[hockeybc69]

Are they breasted out, or plucked whole birds?

Reason I ask, is because I breast out all my pheasants as do most that I know.

[pureinsanity]

Are they breasted out, or plucked whole birds?

Reason I ask, is because I breast out all my pheasants as do most that I know.

Bummer, The leg meat is the best! Specially when smoked! It sucks with all the tendons but easily removed after smoking a bird!

[eyeguy 54]

whole birds

[Farley]

I agree with pureinsanity, I cook with the breasts (pot pies, dip, or just baked) and smoke the legs\thighs. I like to use a pickle brine on my smoked pheasant. I've posted the recipie before here if you want it. I have wrapped in bacon but didnt like it as much as the plain pickled, and I've also tried a bacon drip where you put the bacon wrapped whatever on the top rack and let the bacon drip down onto the next tray underneath. I wouldnt do either again. I pretty much just like the pickled brine ones and just plain old smoked.

[hockeybc69]

Pureinsantiy,

I keep the legs too.

[pureinsanity]

Pureinsantiy,

I keep the legs too.

Good! A lot of people I know just keep the breast and tell me there isn't any meat on the legs to eat. I smack my head with my palm and walk away. Best meat is the legs when it comes to smoking at least. I bet there is as much meat in the to legs as one side of the breast.

great now I want pheasant.... is it lunch time yet?

[eyeguy 54]

I agree with pureinsanity, I cook with the breasts (pot pies, dip, or just baked) and smoke the legs\thighs. I like to use a pickle brine on my smoked pheasant. I've posted the recipie before here if you want it. I have wrapped in bacon but didnt like it as much as the plain pickled, and I've also tried a bacon drip where you put the bacon wrapped whatever on the top rack and let the bacon drip down onto the next tray underneath. I wouldnt do either again. I pretty much just like the pickled brine ones and just plain old smoked.

I think I will do it like I did the chicken. Brine it smoke it and eat it. :>) Thanks for the input.

[MNHuntress]

Farley what is the pickle brine recipe? Please post if you could.

[eyeguy 54]

Ended up way toooo dry. Gotta try something different.

[Farley]

Farley what is the pickle brine recipe? Please post if you could.

It says one whole pheasant, I just subsitute about 6-8 legs, brine it overnight and run it through the smoker for about 4-5 hours at 150-200, I usually skip the honey and soy sauce mixture also as well as the chicken broth.

SMOKED PHEASANT

Ingredients:

1 whole pheasant (with or w/o skin)

wood chips (Cherry, Alder, or Mesquite recommended)

1/2 cup pickling salt

6 cups cold water

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp pickling spice

2 tbsp honey

3 tsp soy sauce

1 Can chicken broth

Directions (copied and pasted from another outdoor site):

In glass bowl or ziplock bag, combine pickling salt, water, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, and pickling spice. Add pheasant and put in fridge for at least 4 hours, turning occaisionally. Drain, discard brine, let pheasant dry on paper towl for 30 minutes. In small bowl combine honey and soy sauce. start gas or charcoal grill on one side only and soak wood chips in water. Put wood chips on hot coals and put pan with chicken broth over coals. Brush pheasant with honey soy sauce mixture and place on grill on side opposite hot coals. Cover and maintain temp between 150-250 degrees, opening grill as little as possible. Smoke pheasant for 2-3 hours, adding more chips during the last hour. Pheasant will be ready to eat off the grill.