Smoked Pheasant Recipes Anyone?

[Bushwacker]

We shot a few birds last week and I would like to try smoking a couple if possible. the problem I am having finding recipes is that the birds are skinned and all the recipes I am finding need the skin for the smoking. Does anyone have any recipes? Thanks for any help.

[Wookiee]

I know you would like to smoke these but without skin it makes it very hard for them not to completely dry out in the smoking process. Maybe you could try and simulate a skin layer with bacon or something. I smoked a wild turkey without the skin once and my teeth and jaw sure wished it would have had the skin to retain the moisture in it.

[Bushwacker]

That is what I am afraid of, that without the skin it will be very tough to smoke it without drying it out. I thought I remember some sort of wrap or bag that could be used to hold in the moisture. I did find a recipe that just said to use breasts and wrap them with chicken skin.

[Wookiee]

That could very possibly work you need to find donor fat and skin to make it work I would bet.

[DIRTY BIKER]

Buy some chicken thighs and use the skin off from them, use toothpicks to hold it on or wrap with bacon has worked also for me.

[MNHuntress]

Bushwacker-Here's probably one of the best smoked pheasant recipes you'll have and I wouldn't talk about that (I get requests for it all the time and they serve it at the MN Horse and Hunt club for shooting and pheasant tourneys). First off call the Mandeville Meat Company in MPLS and get a bag or 2 of their pickle brine and have them send it up to you. Yep that's right pickle brine.

Use 1/3 cup powdered brine and 1/3 cup salt. Throw in a 1/2 gallon of water to dissolve and stir, throw in 5 pheasant breasts and legs fill a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full of water. Soak for 48 hours sitrring occassionally. Then smoke with cherry or apple smoke and they are darn good and you don't have to worry and no skin. I've also got the recipe for a strawberry dipping sauce that goes with this if you want that too.

[Bushwacker]

MNHuntress,

Thanks for the recipe. Wow, that sounds good. I will look up the Mandevill Meat Company. Pickle brine sounds interesting. I would like that dipping sauce recipe too if you have a chance to post it. Thanks for the tip!

[Mike89]

I'm interested in the sauce, the bird recipe is a good one. I do something like yours, but I'm trying yours next.

Mike89

[MNHuntress]

Guys,

Here's the recipe for the strawberry dippin sauce...

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup strawberry jam or perserves

splash of brandy

Mix together and allow flavors to marinate several hours. The flavor of the sauce should be more towards the strawberry side versus mayo or sour cream, if not add a bit more jam until you get the flavor just right to your liking.

Lastly, those smoked pheasant make great meat for sandwichs if it lasts that long.

[Mike89]

Thanks much, I look forward to trying this!!

Mike89

[fivebucks]

I smoke my birds (pheasants or geese) with a water based brine also. I disolve pickling salt and brown sugar in a gallon or so of water and add whatever spices I think will be good. Make sure you put a small plate or something on top of the birds so they stay submerged. I always smoke them without the skin also but sometimes I do more of a cold smoke to keep them from drying out. When I do this I keep the temps down to 75-100 degrees but I always use a product called "Morton Tender Quick?" (I think that might be the name but it helps prevent bacteria at lower temps). It might take a day or two at these low temps though. If I hot smoke I get the temp to 150 and then it only take a few hours, if that. Have fun with it.

[Kidd]

I don't remember where I got this receipt, maybe on this site, that I've used in the past for Pheasant, both whole and breasted, and it works great.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Pheasant

Cherry Wood Chips

1/2 cup Pickling/canning 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 cup Chicken Broth

1 Beer (unfortunately beer only come in 6 packs)

Directions:

In a large glass bowl or sealable bag, combine pickling salt, water, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar and pickling spice. Add pheasant and put in frig for at least four hours, turning occasionally. Drain, discard the brine and let the pheasant dry on paper towel for thirty minutes. In a small bowl combine honey and soy sauce. Start gas or charcoal grill on one side only and soak cherry wood chips in water. Put wood chips on hot coals and put pan with chicken broth and beer over hot coals. Brush pheasant with honey soy mixture and place on side of grill opposite the coals. Cover and try to maintain a temperature of between 150 degrees and 250 degrees, opening grill as little as possible. Smoke pheasant for two to three hours adding more cherry chips during the last hour.

My Modification: While smoking drink remaining 5 beers