Beer Butt Grouse

[CaughtABuzz]

Alright first topic thread

 

Been chirping a lot about Hank Shaw who has several wild game cookbooks and a great page and discussed a lot of depth about taking the game from the field to the plate. I tried out his beer butt pheasant recipe on a grouse and it turned out fantastic

Started with one plucked grouse

Brine- 1/4 cup salt
4 cups water
Decent amount of mixed peppercorns
several bay leaves
and some fresh sage

I brined the bird for about 5 hours which I think was perfect for saltiness after cooked.

After Brining I patted dry and set on a plate in the fridge over night to dry, this allowed the skin to get nice and crisp

I took the bird out of the fridge to get it closer to room temp, I coated the bird with olive oil and had a Pensky's Southwest type of poultry seasoning that I dusted the bird with

I used a Coors light can as it is more narrow and taller, filled it with Summit Oktoberfest and placed on the grill around 400 for about 45 minutes, I then took it off and wrapped it in tinfoil for 15 min or so.

I wanted to get a pic after I started to cut but I never moved from that spot in the kitchen and cleaned the bird up way to fast, it was just too good.

Bird season is here and I would highly recommend plucking at least one bird to try this, little bit of a learning curve to pluck but if you do it while they are fresh and start with the breast it can go pretty quick as you figure out. start slow though cause there skin is pretty weak

[leechlake]

Great post!  I never thought of doing that to a grouse since I do the old step on wings and pull the feet method leaving the breast detached.  Heading up north tomorrow and hopefully will give that a try.  

[icehole10]

Looks Good, I gotta say, if that's a rough grouse you may have had a state record!! or maybe its just that camera angle, but that thing looks huge!

[leechlake]

Ice-  I thought the same thing.   Coors light cans are kind of skinny but nonetheless that thing does look like a "180 Class" Grouse.  I was thinking two grouse per man for dinner for what we bag.  That thing could serve a small family from the photo.  

I do like the brining idea since I'm a dark meat guy.  Awesome either way.

[CaughtABuzz]

180 class grouse, I like the sounds of that!!! it was a MN Ruffed grouse, the angle makes it appear a little larger but it was a nice plump bird. Hank's recipe recommends using a red bull can which I think I would use instead from here on out.

Thanks for the kind words! 

Good luck on your hunt Leechlake, I had always used the same method by pulling bird from carcass but keeping that skin on really helps save the moisture and flavor

[icehole10]

It would be something to try for sure, I have always pulled the breast out as well. They are by far my favorite game bird! Headed to the cabin this weekend, so if I have any luck, I will have to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing!

[reinhard1]

Great stuff Buzz!!! Never though of doing this with a grouse myself and always pulled the skin.  Going  the weekend of the 23rd to the deer camp to drop off my camper so we will have to give grouse a try again.  You know where I hunt.  Last year we flushed some but never got a a decent shot.  Thanks again for the recipe.  good luck.

[CaughtABuzz]

Sure do Reinhard!!! Still have friends in the area and have been hearing my best reports from there, should time it right with some more leaves dropping. Think you guys should be able to bag a few hopefully.

[ThunderLund78]

Looks awesome!

My favorite part is the fact that the Coors can was used but the beer itself was replaced with another - While many like it, Coors seems to be the whipping boy of the major beers . Obviously, in this case, it was for the flavor of the darker beer. At any rate - I hope you drank it and not dumped it.  I'm not a huge fan of Coors, but no fresh beer deserves the fate of the Kitchen Drain.  HAHA!

WELCOME TO THIS page! Looking forward to more posts!

[leechlake]

Thunder-  sometimes when it's a little too early on the weekend and I'm hankering for a beer I will purposely make something and claim to my wife that the recipe calls for a few ounces of beer in it.

"Pancakes need beer," she'll ask?

"Yep"

Thank God she doesn't know how to cook.

[CaughtABuzz]

Thunder- Whipping boy of the major beers, haha that's great. Not a huge fan myself but beer fridge tends to get a variety. And its funny you ask, had planned on coming home and starting but forgot to buy a red bull. saw the coors and slammed it, same time my roommate walked in "long day at work huh?" No alcohol abuse here. Been poking around here for a bit, that smoker you did is the bee's knees! Stumbled across an industrial fridge that I see a project with in the future

Leech- I dont think you are far off with those beer pancakes, acts a good agent to fluff the batter up.....used a banana bread beer for banana bread once and it was the best ive made, Jameson tends to get thrown in lot as well since I usually have one on ice while im cooking

[bobberineyes]

Excellent thought buzz, I'm chasing roosters this weekend and grouse the following.  One way or another I'm trying  it...the beer part is spot on what I do, slam a mgd lite and fill it with the wife's beer...lol. this case though might have to pick up some skinny cans!!

[leechlake]

we've got some 6 ounce pop cans, problem is that you've got to be careful the buggers don't tip over with a small base like that.  I have a beer can chicken holder my wife got for me.  Holds two can and has a base to it, maybe I can modify it for smaller cans.

[tacklejunkie]

Great post!  I never thought of doing that to a grouse since I do the old step on wings and pull the feet method leaving the breast detached.  Heading up north tomorrow and hopefully will give that a try.  

I do the same but I'll try that with my next grouse.

[Boar]

welcome to the forum!! new guy put on a supper gathering!! when we all coming? bett get some more birds, Awsome post!!

[smurfy]

boar usually uses pigeon for this reciepe!!!!!!!!!

[Boar]

[pikestabber]

Sometimes when it's a little too early on the weekend and I'm hankering for a beer I will purposely make something and claim to my wife that the recipe calls for a few ounces of beer in it.

"Pancakes need beer," she'll ask?

"Yep"

Thank God she doesn't know how to cook.

^^^ Post of the year.