Now what?

[Steve Maskery]

I've just dressed a cock pheasant. I've not done that since I was about 12.
So now what? I have two breasts and two legs. The carcass and giblets are roasting in the oven in prep for some stock, but what next?
S
PS It was roadkill. I didn't shoot it.

 

[RogerP]

Did you make a jig to cut it up with?

 

[woodstainwilly]

Steve seems a strange name for someone
with two breasts and two legs.????

 

[Digit]

but what next?

Eat it!
Round here they seem to have a suicidal streak in them.

Roy.

 

[Dibs-h]

I have two breasts ....... but what next?
S

I'd keep quiet and not advertise it! :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:

Dibs

 

[ricasso]

some nice mild curry spices, coconut milk, lemon grass, spring onion etc,cut it up and wack it all in a pan (with the stock!) medium heat for 30 mins, serve with basmati rice, naan bread and a cold beer of your choice... well, thats what id do!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well it is in the oven, on a bed of bread, rubbed with lemon juice, streaky bacon and apples layered on the top. Covered in cider and sealed with foil. Patatas bravas on the go, too.

I just hope it is worth it. If it's horrible I'll have wasted my time...
S

 

[Steve Maskery]

Result!
Absolutely delicious.
It could have been a little more tender. It was firm but not tough and the flavour was excellent. I have enough for tomorrow as well, so I might cook it for another hour and see if that makes it more tender.
I'm glad I didn't hang it, it was quite strong enough as it was.
S

 

[Harbo]

My son-in-law goes beating fairly often and is frequently bringing a few home.
So much that we are all getting very sick of the sight of them!
I find the best way is to casserole them as the meat has a tendency to become dry.
There's an interesting recipe in today's STimes - pot roasted with Madera and prunes.
I assume you know the quick way to prepare them - no plucking - just skin them?

Rod

 

[Steve Maskery]

HI Rod
I didn't pluck, just skinned. Enough feathers about the place without plucking.
It wasn't dry, just not exactly melt-in-the-mouth. And there was more meat on it than I had expected.
I've got to decide what to do with this stock now.

S

 

[Digit]

The 'dryness' seems inherent in the flesh. My wife won't eat them, which is pity as they they play 'chicken' every day round here!

Roy.

 

[Jonzjob]

The last one we had was one I shot, with my catapult! Smack in the back of the head, dead! That was skinned after hanging for a few days and then skinned. What ever else I anin't fan of plucking pheasents! Then roasted, lovely stuff and not dry at all.

 

[CHJ]

We always have ours in a slow cooked casserole with loads of mixed root vegetables, herbs and half a bottle or so of red wine to form the basic stock, we prefer most game meat prepared that way.

Never a problem with meat being too dry and it readily falls off the bones.

I skin and dress ours * and place in freezer ready prepared for pot, we don't bother to hang as flavour is more than strong enough for us and meat is tenderized in the casserole.

*At as many as 5-6 brace at a time no way am I stopping to pluck them.

 

[BigShot]

Once (only once) I had a roadkill pheasant and made the mistake of using the stock. While the meat was nice, any part I couldn't scrape all the gravy/sauce/jus (whatever - I'm no gourmet) off was hooorrrrible.

I decided after about 2 minutes that pheasant simply isn't meant to be made into a stock.

(Had hung it in the shed for about 2 or 3 days IIRC - didn't fancy going crazy like some, but the arguments for at least some hanging persuaded me it was worthwhile.)

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hmm, I've not tasted the stock yet, I've got about a pint. I was going to reduce it and give the rest of last night's another hour in it to see if made it more tender.

S

 

[BigShot]

I'm sure some people love the stuff... but I thought it was vile.
My suggestion would be to do what you're doing with the stock and taste it before putting it on your food - and have a Plan-B ready to go in case you feel the same way about it as I did.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Come on Steve!

My stomach is making gurgling noises already in anticipation - is the stock for stock, or for the compost bin?

And what difference did cooking a bit longer make?

We like venison and duck, but haven't really ever got enthusiastic about pheasant, partridge, etc. so I'm curious to know
what the verdict is...

E.

 

[CHJ]

If you like venison and duck then I don't see why you would not like pheasant, partridge or quail.
Sear meat in pan with a few mushrooms and onions, add a good beef stock base to red wine and a bouquet garni.
Cook in casserole with root veg of choice until meat tender.
With venison we add red currant jelly to the mix.

I personally like red currant or cranberry sauce as an accompaniment to game meat.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well I reduced the stock, perfectly nice flavour ( I would not have guessed it was pheasant), added a slug of red wine and cooked the rest of last night's dinner in it for another 1.5 hours.

Absolutely excellent and if I'd had it in a restaurant (ah, them were t'dees) I would have been happy.

So more country motoring, methinks, I'd do it again any day. I'll try to get a hen next time!
S

 

[Eric The Viking]

If you like venison and duck then I don't see why you would not like pheasant, partridge or quail.

My other half sometimes has the smaller game if we eat out (far too rarely these days!). The trouble is I'm usually seduced by the venison, if it's on the menu. I ought to 'experiment' more!

Sear meat in pan with a few mushrooms and onions, add a good beef stock base to red wine and a bouquet garni.
Cook in casserole with root veg of choice until meat tender. With venison we add red currant jelly to the mix.
I personally like red currant or cranberry sauce as an accompaniment to game meat.

Sounds wonderful!

We do have an independent butcher round the corner, and a good organic co-op meat supplier who delivers - I ought to ask sometime.

Not to hijack Steve's thread, but we're convinced you can taste the difference (organic, etc.). We tried them as an experiment, and found the children, who were then quite small, happily ate up what they were given, including both meat and veg. This definitely wasn't the case with Asda's produce at the time, although their premium stuff has improved recently.

E.

@Steve: I know your cooking is excellent -- If you say the pheasant worked I wish I'd been there!