Upland Game and Waterfoul
Capt. Louis
Saturday September 21st 1805
We killed a few Pheasants, and I killd a prarie woolf which together with the ballance of our horse beef and some crawfish which we obtained in the creek enabled us to make one more hearty meal, not knowing where the next was to be found.
Most upland hunting is done for various species of birds including pheasants, Chukar partridge, forest grouse, doves, quail and turkeys. Young pheasants can be roasted, but older birds need moist heat because their flesh is drier and leaner. Quail are usually roasted and served whole - their meat is dark but mild flavored. With the abundance of turkeys they now can be hunted in the Spring and on a selected basis in the Fall. Wild turkeys are leaner, less meaty, not as tender and have stronger flavor than domestic birds. Young ducks have dark, tender meat and weight 3 to 5 pounds and mature duck 6 months or older have tougher meat. The same is true for geese.
When preparing your meal it is essential to following safe food handling practices. For more information click here to go to the section on Food Safety.
Upland Birds
Waterfowl
Small Game Animals
Dutch Oven Cajun Pheasant
Number of Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
3 strips bacon or salt pork cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 lbs pheasant cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups sliced celery
2 cups sliced scallions including tops
1 cup diced carrots
2/3 cup uncooked converted rice
1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Directions:
Cook bacon pieces in Dutch oven over high bottom heat (on stove), remove cooked bacon and set aside.
Leave bacon fat in Dutch oven add pheasant and brown on all sides (on stove).
Remove browned pheasant and set aside.
Add celery, scallions, and carrots, saute 5 minutes over high bottom heat (on stove).
Stir in rice, broth and seasoning.
Return pheasant and bacon to Dutch oven, cover and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until pheasant is tender and rice is cooked with 8 briquette under and 16-20 briquette on top.
Contributor: Dale Schielke, RRGC
Pheasant/Quail Parmesan
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
6 skinless, boned upland bird breast, cut into bite size pieces
3 large bell peppers (1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow) seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large onion (Walla Walla Sweet is best) coarsely chopped
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch squares
1/2 gallon fresh-frozen or canned tomatoes, pour off liquid
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled, cut into bite sized wedges
1/2 pound button mushrooms
8 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound parmesan cheese, grated
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped or torn
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour
Directions:
In a deep 12 inch Dutch over fry bacon, saute lightly the onions and peppers in bacon grease. Add upland bird pieces, preserved tomatoes, and basil.
Salt and pepper to taste, cover and add charcoal to top of Dutch oven. Stir oven contents occasionally.
Mix tomato paste and flour and set aside.
After about 1/2 hour, add mozzarella and 1/2 of the parmesan and continue cooking.
When the birds are done, about 45 minutes, thicken juices with tomato paste and flour mixture ( the amount will vary with juiciness of peppers, onions and tomatoes), stirring until completely mixed in.
Add fresh tomatoes and mushrooms and lightly turn over the mixture.
Sprinkle remaining parmesan over the top.
Cover and cook for additional 5 minutes then serve.
Notes & Variations:
Maintain the Dutch oven at a temperature of 350 degrees F. For more information on cooking with a Dutch oven go to Cooking/Dutch Oven.
Contributor: Dave Myers, RRGC
1877 Broiled Pheasant
Scald and skin, cut off the breast and cut the rest up in joints, being careful to remove all shot; put in hot water all except the breast (which will be tender enough without parboiling), and boil until it can be pierced with fork, take out, rub over salt, pepper, and butter, and broil with breast over brisk fire; place a lump of butter on each piece, and set all in the oven for a few minutes. For breakfast, serve on fried mush, and for dinner on toast with a bit of currant jelly over each piece. Or it may be served with toast cut in pieces about two inches square, over which pour gravy made by thickening the liquor in which the birds were boiled, with a little butter and flour rubbed together and stirred in while boiling. Squirrels may be prepared the same way.
Buckeye Cookery -1877
Pheasant Goodie
Number of Servings - 4 to 6
Ingredients:
4 half's pheasant breasts
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces) new potatoes (Sliced)
1 can (11 ouncess) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk.
1 box Krustez bake and coating mix
1 packet Mrs. Grass onion soup and dip mix
Frying oil
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. thyme.
Directions:
Remove breasts from harvested pheasant, wash with cold water to remove all blood and shot!
Place on cutting board and slice cross grain 1/2 in thick across breast.
Place in Ziploc bag with krustez powder mix and shake, coating pieces.
Place in hot oil 1/4 in deep browning on both sides (4-5 minutes) remove and drain on paper towels.
Clean pan! Next place sliced spuds, milk, mushroom soup and Mrs. Grass packet into pan and heat to simmer stirring in thyme and nutmeg.
Add pheasant and simmer one hour. Enjoy!
Notes & Variations:
All bird and game works with this recipe (duck ,goose deer, elk, quail, chukar).
Contributor: Richard Sharp, RRGC
Anecdotes:
It's fantastic!
Cashew Upland Bird
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless,skinned breast cut into bite sized
pieces
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white ground pepper
4 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons black soy sauce
Directions:
For 30 minutes, marinate breast meat with light soy sauce, garlic, pepper, wine and cornstarch. Stir 2-3 times.
Heat oil to high heat in pan, add marinated meat and stir and cook until meat is done .
Add black soy sauce and stir until meat is evenly coated and looks golden.
Add cashew nuts and mix well.
Optional: strain cooked product before serving to remove excess oil.
Serve with cooked rice.
Notes & Variations:
All upland birds can be cooked this way including forest grouse
Contributor: Howard Gardner, RRGC
Smoking Fowl
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
Brine for about 10 pounds of birds filleted into 3/8 to 1/2 inch thickness:
2 quarts water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup non iodized salt
1/8 cup Season All
1/8 cup Hickory Smoke Salt
1/4 ounce pepper
Pinch garlic salt
Directions:
Add all ingredients to water and stir until dissolved in water. Add fillets and mix to coat the fillets well with brine.
Leave in brine about 3 hours for waterfowl and 2 1/2 hours for upland birds. Stir 2-3 times while birds are in brine to better expose them to the brine.
As fillets are removed from the brine to position on the smoker racks wash them well with cold water to remove excess surface salt. This keeps the meat from being too salty, particularly the upland birds whose flesh is more susceptible to soaking up salt.
Smoke for 3 hours using three skillets full of chips, one per hour. I change chips when they have stopped smoking which takes about one hour.
Then remove the fillets from smoker and put on 2-3 cookie sheets with about a 3/4 inch or higher lip all around. The loaded cookie sheets are put in the oven and cooked at 300 degrees F until the fillets are cooked through.
Check them by cutting through the thickest pieces. The cooked fillets are then ready to eat or freeze.
Notes & Variations:
The reason for the lip on the cookie sheets is that during cooking, liquid cooked from the fillets collects on the cookie sheets and not on the oven floor. During cooking check the liquid build up and pour it off if it gets too deep.
A Little Chief Smoker works good.
This recipe is good for smoking ducks, geese, pheasant, chukar, quail and other upland game birds.
Contributor: Howard Gardner
Fowl Pot Roast
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 gutted and skinned pheasants/mallards or the equivalent weight for smaller birds
1 can (11 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 small tub of sour cream
1/2 cup white wine for upland birds (red wine for waterfowl)
Directions:
Brown birds in butter in a large pot that can be covered and used on top of the stove.
Add above ingredients, cover and simmer on top of stove until meat falls away from the bone.
The birds will be nice and moist.
Notes & Variations:
This recipe can be used for upland game bird and waterfowl.
Contributor: Agnes Gardner (Howard's mother)
Sweet & Sour Pheasant
Number Served: 4
Ingredients:
2 skinned and quartered pheasant
1 can (16 ounces) canned peaches
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup malt vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups rice
Directions:
Brown pheasant pieces in skillet using the vegetable oil.
Drain peaches, reserving liquid.
Combine peach liquid with orange juice, malt vinegar, brown sugar, basil, salt, cloves, nutmeg and pepper.
When pheasant is browned, pour liquid over the browned pheasant and return to a simmer, cook 25-30 minutes or until pheasant is cooked.
Add peaches and continue cooking until warm.
Remove pheasant from skillet and set aside.
Mix corn starch with cold water and add to the broth, stir until thickened.
Cook the rice.
Serve the pheasant and broth over rice.
Notes & Variations:
Figure each pheasant will serve two people.
Skin and cut pheasant into quarters, discard back and neck.
Cinnamon may be substituted for nutmeg.
Contributor: Dave Myers, RRGC
Cold Smoked Wild Turkey
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
1 wild turkey (plucked with skin on)
Seasoning
Directions:
Place the bird in the smoker, start the element with desired wood chip type and heat until maximum smoke fills smoker.
Turn off to condense smoke and repeat smoke cycle, each time recharging with wood chips.
Cold smoke the bird for a total of about 2 hours.
Take turkey out of smoker, season and put into hot oven, and cook at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes per pound of bird.
Notes & Variations:
The smoke flavor will be throughout the entire bird. The bird should be moist and flavorful.
Contributor: John Hall, RRGC
Pheasant Cacciatore
Number Served: 4
Ingredients:
1 pheasant cut up
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed or fresh celery
1 teaspoon crushed oregano
1 teaspoon crushed basil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Pasta egg noodles to serve 4 people
Directions:
Brown pheasant in olive oil and sauté onion until translucent.
Add all ingredients except mushrooms and bell peppers and
simmer very slowly for two hours.
Add bell peppers and mushrooms for the final hour.
Remove bay leaf.
Prepare pasta to tender stage, place in pre-heated plate and top with sauce.
Notes & Variations:
French bead and a green salad complete the meal.
Contributor: Beci Lambert, RRGC
Slow Cooker Curried Wild Turkey
Number Served: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 wild turkey (breast, thighs and legs)
1 can whole cranberry sauce (15 ounces)
1 can orange juice concentrate (12 ounces)
1/4 cup honey
2 cups Chardonnay wine or apple juice
2 teaspoons old bay
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoons non-iodized salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 -1 tablespoon grated ginger
4-5 cloves
1 onion, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Clean turkey breast and/or thighs and legs.
Mix liquids together.
Place onions, garlic and ginger in slow cooker layer turkey over vegetables.
Sprinkle spices over turkey and add liquid to cover.
Cook on low until turkey is tender. 6 hours is probably adequate for breast, legs and thighs will take longer.
Remove meat from sauce and set aside.
Blend the sauce to incorporate the onion and garlic. Reduce volume of sauce to thicken. Cut turkey into serving size pieces and reintroduce into sauce and cook for about one hour on high.
Serve over plain or fruited basmati rice.
Notes & Variations:
Fruited Basmati Rice Recipe
1 cup basmati rice - rinsed to remove some of the starch
2 cups liquid(1 can coconut milk remainder water)
1/4 cup diced dried apricots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Place in a tightly covered ovenproof baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Fluff with a fork and serve with curried turkey, or as a side dish.
Contributor: Marilyn Steele, RRGC
Pheasant Jambalaya
Number Served: 4-6
Ingredients:
1/3 pound bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cups pheasant cut into 1 inch cubes
1 ½ cups venison kielbasa, sliced in 1/8 inch pieces
2 cups diced celery
1 cup diced scallions
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced orange pepper
2/3 cup uncooked converted rice
1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Directions:
Fry bacon pieces in 12” Dutch oven on stove, remove cooked bacon and set aside.
Leave bacon fat in Dutch oven add pheasant and brown on all sides.
Remove browned pheasant and set aside.
Fry venison kielbasa pieces lightly until browned, remove and set aside.
Add celery, scallions, onion, peppers, and carrots - sauté until onion is clear.
Stir in rice, broth and seasonings.
Return pheasant, kielbasa, and bacon to Dutch oven, cover and bake (at about 350 degrees) for 45 to 60 minutes or until pheasant is tender and rice is cooked with 8 briquette under and 16-20 briquette on top.
Notes & Variations:
Contributor: Dale Schielke, RRGC
Doves in a Crock Pot
Number Served: 2-4
Ingredients:
8-12 skinned dove breasts
1 medium chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 clove dry minced garlic
Lightly apply Lawry's Salt and pepper
Directions:
Soak the breasts in salt water overnight, rinse before adding to pot.
Place all ingredients in the crock pot, stir and cover. Turn crock pot on low.
Cooking time is about 5 hours, check to see if flesh is separating from the bone
Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles using fluid in pot as gravy if desired.
Notes & Variations:
Contributor: Howard Gardner, RRGC (as modified from Backwoods Bound)
Pheasant with Rosemary Wine Sauce
Number Served: 3-4
Ingredients:
2 pheasants, deboned
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, fresh ground
3 tablespoons flour, all purpose
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped fresh
Texas Grub-Rub Seasoning
1/2 cup wine, dry red
Directions:
Fillet pheasants (use breasts and thighs). Sprinkle lightly with Grub Rub and allow to sit in refrigerator overnight.
Add salt and pepper to flour and mix well. Spread flour mixture on a sheet of wax paper and coat the pheasant pieces, shaking off excess flour. Discard excess flour.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the pheasant and rosemary; cook until the pheasant is golden brown and until an instant read thermometer reads 160o F in thickest part of breast. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
Add the wine to the skillet; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to remove and scrape up the browned bits from the skillet, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, (two or three minutes); pour this sauce over the pheasant and serve.
Notes & Variations:
This dish goes really well with Bistro rice, cooked in Chicken Stock with a handful of raisin.
Contributor: Dave Myers, RRGC
1838 Duck With Juice of Orange
Number of Servings: Varies
Directions:
The ducks being singed, picked, and drawn, mince the livers with a little scraped bacon, some butter, green onions, sweet herbs and parsley, seasoned with salt, pepper, and mushrooms; these being all minced together, put them into the bodies of the ducks, and roast them, covered with slices of bacon and wrapped up in paper; then put a little gravy, the juice of an orange, a few shallots minced, into a stew pan, and shake in a little pepper; when the ducks are roasted, take off the bacon, dish them, and pour your sauce with the juice of oranges over them, and serve them up hot.
Contributor: Virginia Housewife, 1838
Smoked Duck
Number of Servings: varies
Brine Solution
1/2 gallon water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup non iodized salt
1/4 oz pepper
2 tablespoons Seasoning Salt
2 tablespoons Hickory Smoke Salt or Liquid Smoke (Hickory)
Pinch of garlic salt
Directions:
Fillet 2 to 10 pounds of duck breasts and slice into 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Soak the meat in a brine solution for 3 hours, stir every 10 minutes or so, then rinse meat and allow to drain (use a plastic or glass vessel for soaking).
Place meat in smoker and smoke 3 hours or more with three pans of chips (two pans of alder and one pan of hickory chips).
Remove the smoke meat and place in a covered roasting pan or in a plastic oven bag. Place in an oven and bake at 300 degrees F for at least one hour.
Remove from oven, allow to thoroughly cool then cut into small pieces before serving.
Use the smoked duck as an appetizer or for snacks.
Note and Variations:
Be careful about dripping water when placing the meat on the rack in the smoker?
If you do not plan to serve the smoked duck within two days freeze cooked and smoked meat in sealed container preferably "ZipLock" bag and they will keep for 6 months in a freezer.
After brining and rinsing, the breasts can be pan fried like Swiss steak or duck fajitas.
This recipe can also be use for smoking goose breasts.
Contributor: Eddie Manthos, RRGC
Sweet & Sour Duck
Number or Servings: 6 - 8
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless duck
1 cup of orange juice (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup of cooking oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 large onion (chopped)
3 cups chopped carrots
Directions:
Skin, bone and slice duck meat lengthwise into 3/16 to 3/8 inch thick strips.
Place sliced duck in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.
Remove the duck meat and drain on paper towels.
Place the duck into a plastic bowl, cover with orange juice and marinate for 3-6 hours in the refrigerator.
Combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper.
Remove duck from orange juice, drain and coat with flour mixture.
Brown the meat in a pan with oil.
Combine water, catsup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon salt.
Stir the mixture into the browned meat, add the chopped onion, cover and cook over low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots and cook for 45 minutes more or until carrots are tender.
Serve over cooked wide egg noodles.
Notes & Variation:
Goose can be substituted for duck. Other wild game meats can be prepared the same way. Cranberry juice rather than orange juice is a better marinade for deer and elk.
Contributor: Jerry Zeitler & Jon Manthos, RRGC
Dutch Oven Waterfowl Delight
Number of Servings - 6-8
Ingredients:
Brady's Game Marinade
1 1/2 cup salad oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 1/4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1 1/2 crushed garlic cloves
1/3 cup lemon juice
Waterfowl Delight
3 pounds diced duck/goose breast
1/4 pound chopped bacon
1 large onion (chopped)
9 cups water
3 cups brown rice
6 teaspoons beef bouillon
1 can water chestnuts
1/2 pound button mushrooms (add more if you like mushrooms)
Directions:
Dice the duck/goose breast, place in a Zip-Loc bag, cover with marinade, squeeze out air and seal. Place in refrigerator and allow to sit at least 2 hours (better if overnight).
Fry the chopped bacon in the Dutch Oven (DO) until nicely browned, remove and set aside. Add chopped onions to bacon fat and saute. When onions are nicely browned, add water and bring to boil.
Add rice, water chestnuts, and return bacon to DO, cover and cook at a happy boil (simmer) for about 30 minutes.
Add drained, marinated meat and cook until tender, about another 30 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook about another 10 minutes.
Notes & Variations:
Cooking should be done at about 325 degrees F (9 coals on bottom, 15 coals on top). Saute heat will need to be adjusted, as will maintaining the happy boil. It is often easier to use a propane stove or Coleman stove to saute and cook the rice mixture.
Contributor: Dave Myers, RRGC
Waterfowl Poppers
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
Waterfowl breast sliced thinly (1/8 - 1/4 inch thick)
Deveined Jalapeno pepper sliced into narrow strips
Bacon (sliced thin)
Directions:
Place a slice of Jalapeno pepper on a piece of waterfowl breast. Roll the pepper inside the fillet of the waterfowl.
Wrap (roll) the waterfowl breast with pepper in a piece of bacon and secure with one or two toothpicks.
Grill popper over medium to low heat until bacon is cooked. (Works really well in a smoker grill like a Traeger).
Notes & Variations:
When preparing the Jalapeno wear protective gloves and avoid rubbing eyes.
Fresh garlic cloves or onion wedges can be substituted for or added to the pepper in the center of the popper. The peppers, onion or garlic are caramelized yielding them sweet and flavorful.
Contributor: Dave Myers, RRGC
Anecdotes: Serve warm, yum!
Wild Duck Hors D'oeuvres
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
Duck breast
1 cup apricot jam
1 ounce red wine
Salt and pepper
Bacon (sliced)
Mushroom (sliced)
Red Pepper (sliced)
Directions:
Slice duck breast longwise in 1/4 to 3/8 inch strips. Blanch slices in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Prepare a marinade by mixing the apricot jam and red wine. Salt and pepper to taste and then place blanched slices of duck into the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
Lay out one slice of bacon and place a slice of duck breast, slice of mushroom and a slice of red pepper perpendicular to bacon. Wrap bacon around duck and secure with toothpick.
Cook on BBQ grill at medium high heat (300-325 degrees F) for ten minutes.
Notes & Variations:
If the duck is grilled use cherry wood in moderation to give a slight flavor.
Place the duck on a grill so the fat drains off.
The duck can also be baked in an oven set at 325 degrees F.
Contributor: Jerry Zeitler, RRGC
Easy Stir Fry Duck
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds of duck breast
1 package of Chinese Stir Fry seasoning
1 package of stir fry vegetable mix (fresh)
Cooking oil
Directions:
Cut duck breast into 1/4 inch strips.
Add oil to wok and heat to hot.
Place strips of duck in wok and cook for 5 minutes.
Add stir fry veggies and seasoning to wok
Heat through and Serve
Notes & Variations:
This recipe also can be used for stir fried goose.
Contributor: Gaylord Pyle, RRGC
Orange Goose
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 Canada Goose (plucked) with giblets - See Notes for selecting the goose
1 package stuffing mix (seasoning included)
1 cup butter
1 orange
1 apple (diced)
1 stalk celery (diced)
Lemon pepper
Garlic (minced)
Salt
4 tablespoons Sweet Orange Marmalade for glaze.
1 can chicken broth
Directions:
Begin by dicing giblets in small oiled pan and cooking until brown.
Add melted butter and chicken broth to stuffing mix in mixing bowl. Fold in diced apple, celery and seasoning supplied with stuffing mix.
Add in giblets and mix.
Then squeeze juice from orange into goose cavity and fill with stuffing mix.
Place remaining stuffing mix into covered casserole dish and put in oven.
Now rub orange juice over skin of goose and season with lemon pepper, minced garlic and salt to taste. Put goose in oiled roasting pan, cover and place in pre-heated 325 degree F oven.
Bake goose for 20 minutes per pound.
Remove stuffing casserole dish cover after 35 minutes and remove dish after 45 minutes.
Place stuffing dish in warmer to rest until goose is done.
As required cooking time approaches test breast with fork. When juice runs clear (no blood) glaze goose with Sweet Orange Marmalade and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.
Remove roasting pan with goose and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes & Variations:
This recipe works best when a goose is selected that has been feeding on Columbia Basin corn for several weeks and the body has minimal shot. Close inspection of the daily bag will reveal these choice birds. Birds with more shot are best filleted.
Variation in glazes is also encouraged. Another popular choice is plum.
Contributor: Bob Kolowith, RRGC
Anecdotes:
The call of migrating geese overhead signals the start of another hunting season in the Columbia Basin. We are blessed with some of the best waterfowling in the country. The sights and sounds of a flock of these majestic birds cupping into your decoys is golden.
Coffee Cooked Wild Goose
Number Served: 6-8
Ingredients:
3 pounds clean deboned goose
4-6 cups regular breakfast coffee
Gravy mix or sauce
Directions:
Cut goose into about 1 inch cubes.
Put meat into slow cooker (crock pot).
Fix 4-6 cups of regular coffee just as you would for breakfast, and pour over the goose.
Cook until tender following cookers instructions.
Remove goose from the coffee and wash/rinse cooker.
Return goose to crock pot and add your favorite gravy or sauce.
Notes & Variations:
The goose with gravy or sauce would be served over pasta or rice. Wild duck can be substituted for goose. An orange sauce would go well with this recipe - see Crock Pot Goose with Orange Sauce.
Contributor: Don Hand, RRGC
Anecdotes:
Don't know what it is about coffee but it seems to eliminate the objectionable taste (to some) of the wild goose and the coffee does not instill a flavor.
Crock Pot Goose With Orange Sauce
Number Served: 6-8
Ingredients:
Goose (or duck)
3 pounds clean deboned goose
4-6 cups regular breakfast coffee
Orange Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 juice from fresh orange
1 tablespoon Galliano Liqueur (optional)
1/2 cup butter
11 ounce can mandarin oranges (drained)
Directions:
Cut goose into about 1 inch cubes.
Put meat into slow cooker (crock pot).
Fix 4-6 cups of regular coffee just as you would for breakfast, and pour over the goose.
Cook until tender following cookers instructions.
Remove goose from the coffee and wash/rinse cooker.
Bring orange juice concentrate, butter and sugar to a boil over medium heat.
Stir frequently; add remaining sauce ingredients and heat.
Return goose to crock pot and pour orange sauce into crock pot.
Mix and heat on low for 10 to 15 minutes then serve.
Notes & Variations:
The Galliano Liqueur can be replaced with 1/2 teaspoon of pure Anise extract to acquire the licorice flavor of the liqueur. This dish is good served over a bed of white rice and stir fried Chinese vegetables.
Contributor: Don Hand and Jerry Zeitler, RRGC
1877 Jugged Hare
Skin, cut in pieces, strew with pepper and salt, fry brown, season with two anchovies, a sprig of thyme, a little chopped parsley, nutmeg, mace, cloves, and grated lemon peel. Put a layer of the pieces with the seasoning into a jug, then a layer of bacon sliced very thin, and so on till all is used; add a scant half pint of water; cover the jug, close and put in cold water, let boil three or four hours, according to the age of the hare; take the jug out of kettle, pick out the unmelted bacon and make gravy of a little butter and flour with a little catsup. A teaspoon of lemon peel will heighten the flavor.
Buckeye Cookery 1877
Coyote Backstrap
Number of Servings: 2-4
Ingredients:
1 coyote backstrap
Cooking oil
Jonny's Seasoning salt
Garlic salt
Black pepper
Directions:
You will need to be prepared for saving the backstraps of the coyote after the kill and skinning. If you are going to save the backstraps you will need to remove them from the animal immediately after the kill otherwise the flavor will be tainted. When skinning the coyote take care to keep the coyote off the ground so meat will not become dirty. Fillet the backstraps from the animal as you would with a deer. Bring along a one-gallon Ziploc bag to put the backstraps in to keep them fresh and clean. Try to keep the backstraps as cool as possible until you can get them home.
When home wash the backstraps in cold running water. Carefully remove all fat, it isn't very good. Either prepare immediately or freeze for use later. If you freeze, mark the container so you know what kind of meat it is. You don't want to serve coyote to anyone without telling them what it is; most people would not appreciate that.
Cooking instructions: Lay the backstraps out on a cutting board and slice across grain into one half-inch thick steaks. These steaks will be from the size of a quarter to the size of a silver dollar.
In a frying pan pour enough cooking oil of your choice (vegetable oil preferable) to cover the bottom of the fry pan. Turn the heat to medium, when the oil is hot place the steaks into the fry pan, being careful of spattering oil. Sprinkle moderately with Johnny's Seasoning Salt, Garlic Salt and Black pepper. Cook for four minutes on one side then flip steaks over and repeat seasoning and cook time. If any of the steaks are thicker than one half-inch thick cook these five minutes on each side, coyote should be cooked well done. Adjust cooking time if you see fit.
This cooking method makes them fairly tough but who cares, it's coyote they're supposed to be tough. The steaks are ready to eat, enjoy.
Best served with green beans and fried potatoes and a large glass of milk or wine.
Notes & Variations:
It's important to ensure that the meat reaches 165 degrees F. To alter the taste of the meat you could marinate it overnight in the refrigerator. Also the meat could be grilled but it may be necessary to place it on aluminum foil to prevent the sections of meat from falling through the grill.
Beaver Tail Beans
Number of Servings: 8-10
Ingredients:
1 Beaver tail
1 can baked beans (1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 cup mayonnaise
Directions:
Take beaver tail, with skin on, wash good and then put on greased pan and roast in oven at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes (until skin puffs up and separates from the meat).
Let it cool in freezer compartment of refrigerator but do not freeze.
Remove skin and discard.
Finish the meat in oven and put aside, make sure it is fully cooked (145 degrees F internal temperature).
Put beans in a pot and add liquid smoke. Heat until hot, not boiling, and remove from stove. Chop beaver tail into 3/4 - 1 inch cubes, mix with mayonnaise.
Now mix the chopped beaver tail into the beans and serve.
Notes & Variations:
A second method of removing the skin is to place the tail on a barbecue rack and heat over hot coals or flame. Cool, skin and then cook. Care must be taken with this method in that with so much oil in tail, it will catch fire and burn like a torch.
Contributor: Jerry Zeitler, RRGC
Anecdotes:
Beaver tail meat is white, gelatinous and full of nourishing oil.
Anecdotes:
This recipe has been tried on a young coyote and found to be very tasty. Before cooking, the meat did not have an unpleasant smell and was a dark red. The texture of the meat was slightly course but was very tender even though it was cooked until it was crisp. The meat had a mild flavor and was similar to dove. Some part of the meat had a very mild flavor of liver but this was possibly due to residual fat or silver skin. There were a number of factors that contributed to the good result. The coyote was about one year old, it was shot in neck which prevented body fluids from contacting the meat, and it had been feeding on after harvest grapes found in nearby vineyards.
Contributor: Larry Martin, RRGC
Rabbit Keema
Number of Servings: 2-4
Ingredients:
1 rabbit - boned and diced (can grind like hamburger)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil.
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
2 large diced fresh tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon minced green pepper (optional)
1 cup green peas (optional)
Directions:
Brown onion in vegetable oil. Add spices and fry for 3 minutes to bring out the flavor.
Add rabbit and fry for 5 minutes, stirring well.
Add tomato, salt and boiling water. Simmer 30 minutes.
Add peas and cook until the peas are done.
Serve over rice.
Contributor: David O'Brien
Rabbit Stroganoff
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 rabbit - boned and diced (can grind like hamburger)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 4 ounce can of mushrooms (drained)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup
Garlic salt or powder to taste
Onion salt or flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Water to desired consistency (about 1/2 cup)
Directions:
Saute the diced rabbit in oil. Drain off liquid.
Add soups and mushrooms. Stir in water to desired consistency.
Add garlic, onion, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until tender.
Serve over egg noodles.
Contributor: David O'Brien
Fried Muskrat With Milk Gravy
Number of Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
Muskrat
3 to 4 Muskrats (quartered)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lard or similar fat
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Gravy
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons pan drippings
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Put flour, salt and pepper in paper bag and shake up. Place pieces of meat in bag and coat.
In heavy fry pan, melt butter and lard together. Should be enough cooking to cover bottom of pan will (1/8 inch). Have it hot but not smoking.
Put pieces of meat in pan and brown on both sides. When all pieces are brown, cover and turn down heat. Cook slowly until tender (approximately 30 minutes). If it starts to burn turn down heat some more and add more fat. When done remove to hot platter and make gravy.
Pour gravy over the meat and serve.
Brown Gravy
Measure pan drippings and add enough butter to get 4 plus tablespoons. Heat to hot again and add flour. Mix well and keep stirring fat and flour together until desired color of brown (not burned).
Should be a mixture with the consistency of thick pancake batter or paste. Add 1/4 cup milk while stirring to get well mixed - not lumpy. Add another 1/2 cup milk and continue stirring. When boiling again add remaining milk stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens.
Gray Gravy
Use same ingredients except mix flour and milk together until well blended. Heat pan dripping to hot then slowly stir in milk and flour mixture. Keep stirring until the gravy boils and thickens.
Notes & Variations:
Dressing the muskrat - first skin the animal, this is generally done "Case" style in which the animal is hung by the hind legs, then:
Remove the tail
Remove the front feet where fur joins hide and cut fur around hind legs where fur joins the hide.
Open hide up from hock to tail and both legs and carefully separate the skin from the carcass.
Pull down over the animal like a slip over sweater.
Remove the entrails by opening the abdominal cavity from the chest to the rear, watching that you don't puncture or cut any glands
Remove the scent and musk glands carefully along with as much fat as possible.
Musk Glands - these are fairly large and lie under the skin on the lower part of the abdomen just below the tail. They are cream to light yellow and have a cellular or corrugated appearance.
Scent Glands - there are four pair and they resemble cream to yellow waxy looking pea shaped kernels. One pair is located in front arm pits. One pair in the groin region. One pair between the shoulders and one pair in small of the back near the rump.
Notes: In the past all of the animals were caught in leg traps set to drown them. They had not bled out so they were soaked in salt water over night (1 tablespoon pickling salt per quart of water). Prior to cooking, the carcass was quartered and par boiled for 40 minutes or better yet cooked for about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker then cooled before cooking.
After dressing the carcass generally weigh 1 to 2 pounds.
Contributor: Jerry Zeitler, RRGC
Anecdotes:
This is a dish I have not had since the fall of 1951, the last year that I trapped. This dish was a frequent entree in the late fall and early winter at home during the 1930's when we lived in Colorado. It was always referred to as marsh rabbit and as a youngster I thought it was rabbit. We left Colorado in 1937 and moved to north California to an area where we or dad did not trap. It wasn't until 1942 when we moved to an area in northeast California along the slope of the Sierras that the dish was revived. It was at this time I learned that marsh rabbit was actually muskrat.
Muskrat carcasses have been marketed in the large cities and South under the names of "Marsh Hares", "Marsh Rabbits" and "Swamp Rabbits". The reason that they adopted the name of rabbit is quite obvious in that the name "Rat" does not conjure up anything appealing.
The recipe is simple and can be used to prepare other small game or upland game birds. It is the preparation in dressing the animal for the kitchen that is unique. The name "Muskrat" is with good reason in that they have two musk glands that need to be removed as soon as possible - if left intact they will taint the meat.
Calf Fries/Mountain Oysters
Number of Servings: 8
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of calf, beef, or sheep "fries"
1 pint of beer
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt
4 eggs
Cooking oil
Directions:
Remove outer skin from calf fries and clean well.
If the fries are small leave whole, if medium butterfly or if large slice.
Soak them in a pint of beer for an hour, drain well and pat dry.
Combine flour with the seasoned salt.
Dip fries in beaten egg, then into flour mixture.
Fry in hot oil until brown (4-5 minutes cooking time).
Notes & Variations:
Contributor: Friend of Jerry Zeitler
Anecdotes:
When I was a teenager in northern California, it was during WWII. The ranchers there were pretty short handed so they would recruit High School students for many projects such as harvesting crops, picking turkeys for market, etc. One of the major projects each fall was the branding, vaccinating and cutting (castrating) of that years calves. A number of ranchers would get together with the aid of High School kids and would move from ranch to ranch to perform this task. At the end of the project, there would be a big "Pot Luck" type of get-together with the main dish being the Calf Fries which I enjoyed whenever possible.
When I moved to Ellensburg, WA in the early 70's there were a lot of backyard Pot Lucks and occasionally one would bring fries as a dish. I had never prepared them but I acquired this recipe from a friend.
White Rattlesnake Chile
Number Served: 14-16
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, dice
10 cloves garlic, coarse chop
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs of thyme
5 jalapenos seeded and de-veined, small dice
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 cup flour
3 cups chicken stock
2 pounds of rattlesnake cut into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 can (12.5 ounces) hominy, rinsed and drained
1 can (12.5 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (12.5 ounces) cannellini bean, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
2 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies, rinsed and drained
1 small can pimentos, rinsed and drained
1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarse
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot, add olive to coat the bottom and add 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic with oil by mixing with a wooden spatula.
When they start to brown, add bay leaf, thyme, jalapenos, cumin, oregano, couple turns of fresh cracked black pepper and poached rattlesnake. Stir to coat.
After 2 minutes turn down heat and add flour and stir until the flour starts to smell nutty.
Add COLD chicken stock and keep stirring until flour mixes with stock without any lumps.
Add remaining ingredients, except white beans, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes. Gently stir in beans and cook for another 30 minutes. Add Kosher salt to taste.
Garnish individual bowls with optional toppings. You can reserve some cilantro for the garnish, homemade croutons, or grated Jalapeno Jack cheese and add a slab of garlic bread to the side.
Notes & Variations:
If you harvested or purchased your rattlesnake meat on the bone, you will need to poach the meat. This will make the meat easier to remove from the bone. To poach, place the rattlesnake in simmering water and lemon juice for one hour and remove meat from bone. Then chop into small dice.
If you prefer you can make Rattlesnake Stock:
In a large sauce pan add 2 tables olive oil over high heat. Add 4 cloves garlic, 1 med onion small dice, Stir to coat with oil after one minute add 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 large carrots small dice, 1 celery stock small dice. Stir and caramelize vegetables move vegetables to the edges and add more oil,if needed. Add 5 pounds of rattlesnake on bone and quickly sear. Add 4 cups of water and using a wooden spatula scrap all the caramelized flavor off the bottom of the pan and add one lemon half. Turn down heat and let simmer for one hour. Remove Rattlesnake and remove meat from the bone and reserve meat and strained stock for above recipe.
As variations, you can use raw turkey cutlets, and also boneless chicken thighs diced up for this recipe. You can add diced can tomatoes, green, red and yellow peppers.
All recipes are able to be changed and modified. If you do not like garlic you could sear the cloves at the beginning and then discard or delete them altogether. If your chile is to thin you can slow cook it longer or make a roux and place in refrigerator until cold then add to the hot chile to thicken it up. Roux need to be cooked out so if you decide to go this route you will want to simmer for an addition 30 minutes. If it is too thick add more stock to thin it down.
Contributor: Chris Wyer, ACF
Anecdotes:
This chile was made for some functions at the Westin hotel in Tucson, Arizona.
Simmered Cottontail Rabbit
Number Served: 2-4
Ingredients:
1 - 2 Cottontail rabbits cut into pieces; legs, lower back, upper back with ribs and neck.
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
Cooking oil (enough to cover bottom of fry pan)
Directions:
Place all dry ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly, then place pieces of rabbit in bowl and coat all surfaces with mixture.
Pour enough cooking oil in fry pan to cover bottom of pan and heat to medium, medium high heat. Place all rabbit pieces in fry pan being careful of spattering oil.
Brown rabbit on both sides to your liking, some like it almost crispy or lightly browned.
Turn heat down to simmer, pour cream of mushroom soup over all the rabbit making sure each piece is covered then using the soup can add 1/2 can of water to fry pan.
Place lid on fry pan and let simmer for 1 hour.
Check once or twice to make sure it isn't getting dry; if so add a little more water.
Salt and pepper to your liking.
Notes & Variations:
If you choose to eat the rabbit with your fingers you'll notice it is finger licking good so be prepared and also keep plenty of napkins handy. Wild rabbit has quite small and hard bones so eat slowly and enjoy.
Best served with asparagus or green beans, fried potatoes and a large glass of milk.
Contributor: Larry Martin, RRGC
Duck Jerky (small sausage stick)
1-pkg High Country Original Recipe Wild Game Jerky Seasoning and Cure (14.23oz for 16lbs)
6.5-lbs Duck
6.5-lbs Pork (boneless butt good option)
3-lbs Beef fat
1-40 oz bottle Roasted Pineapple and Habanero sauce (Robert Rothschild, sold at Costco on occasion)
Grind all meat and fat with large grinder option
Mix everything together thoroughly
Grind again with small grinder option
Use jerky shooter (looks like a caulk gun, sold at most sporting goods stores) with round tip. Shoot mix onto grates leaving at least ½” spread. Cook on a Traeger or equivalent at 225 degree for about 45 minutes and then until done to your liking.
Notes:
Don’t overcook. It will start darkening over time and still be moist inside, not dried out.
Most Traegers cook faster around edges so you might have to rotate or pull those out sooner than those in center.
I have 6 grates that I can stack up in my Traeger using small wood blocks on the corners. If you do it one at a time, it will take forever to get all 15lbs cooked.
I like to vacuum pack and freeze mine. It will last maybe 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. It has to be kept either refrigerated or frozen. Once frozen and vacuum packed, it easily lasts up to a year.
Contributer Ron Moore