Pheasants and cold weather comfort food

[Sweaty Paul]

Been a while since I have posted. Pheasant season is in full swing and it was opening weekend for rifle hunters for deer in Kansas this weekend. Given the flat land mass that is Western Kansas and the warm temps on Saturday I elected to not go bird hunting and instead made a batch of Troutman's Texas Red and put that on the Primo for its smoke and then started making some chicken and Sausage Gumbo with my homemade Andouille sausage that I made with a buddy of mine this spring. I used a Wagyu Chuck roast and wagyu burger (from the locally raised 1/2 wagyu cow we bought) for Troutman's chili. I also took the chicken skin and sautéed that for a crunchy garnish on the gumbo.

I used the oven for a long slow simmer for the Troutman's Texas Red after it came off the Primo cooking it at 250 F. Was fabulous and had a nice gentle simmer for its entire five hour cook. The gumbo slowly burbled on the back of the cooktop for 8 hours then had a rest overnight on the patio in the PK grill since it got to a low of 22 overnight (saving fridge space).

While the gumbo merried overnight went on a pheasant hunt and saw some fabulous dog work and ended with nearly a limit of pheasants. Looking for suggestions for recipes for phez for any who have them. I had, in South Dakota this year, some outstanding pheasant and rice soup. Wondering if anyone has some suggestions for this or for something else!

Merry Christmas all!

[rmeugene]

Miss pheasant hunting…mostly put/take here in Illinois where I was able to go. But I refuse to go since I no longer have a dog. So miss the days of working with my dog.

[cruiseplanner1]

I hear you. Lost my Brittany a few years ago and with wife having a stroke it wasn't in the game to get another bird dog. I don't hunt without one up here in Michigan as our grouse and woodcock will run on you or hold tight. Sure miss those days

[Sweaty Paul]

Watching the dogs work is the best part for sure.

[Jerod Broussard]

Pheasants constantly scared the crap out of me walking to and from deer stands in Nebraska.

[rmeugene]

They scare the crap out of me even when I know they are there!

[Sweaty Paul]

They will get your attention for sure!

[Donw]

Nice! Use to pheasant hunt all the time when we lived in South Dakota. Didn’t have a dog but all my hunting buddies certainly did. Wish I could remember some of the recipes we ate back then. Sorry.

[Richard Chrz]

Man that food looks amazing, can I just say, I grew up hunting so many things, I was super passionate about ducks and geese, I had a enclosed trailer ready to go with hundreds of decoys and blinds,…

but truly today, and back then, I wish I would have spent more time pheasant hunting. Hunting over a dog, not just retrieving brilliance, but watching a dog work a field was my favorite. That pheasant photo brings back some pretty great memories. My female lab who was addicted to hunting retired with about 1,200 retrieves,

i just loved roasted pheasant so much, but we ate it with a cream sauce, I’ll have to think, but I believe cut with apple cider vinegar, truly though, roasted in a Dutch oven in the oven, and finished with any sort of fresh herb cream sauce or gravy will be money!

[Sweaty Paul]

Richard Chrz I'll give the idea a try. Hunting over dogs and watching them work is indeed the very best part of it all. Getting to watch predator v. prey in action and know that they are working at a level we can't fathom is awesome.

[Oak Smoke]

All those years spent in the top of the Texas panhandle taught me to love pheasant hunting. You haven’t know true terror until you’ve been the blocker for a line of new hunters. My last time I ended up flat on the ground as birds and shot flew above me. We learned from the cook at a local restaurant to filet the breast and cut the meat in 1 inch strips. We would then marinate them for 24 hours in buttermilk and the cheapest, hottest caned jalapeños you can find. Then take the strips from the marinade, roll them in flour and deep fry them, be sure to batter and fry some of the jalapeños too, they’re excellent. We served it on a bed of long grained and wild rice with ranch dressing on the side. The flavor of the jalapeños does penetrate the meat and is wonderful. The very same recipe works great on wild turkey breast too.

[rmeugene]

I was using two of my dogs to push each side of a creek. My buddies BIL and his friend were blocking. Sure as s*&t the birds came up and all of sudden there are two 12ga guns pointed straight at me. I packed up the dogs and said "That's it for me". I used to guide at a VERY expensive club with my dogs. The yahoo's that would shoot almost at my dog were unbelievable. Many a time I told a guy "You shoot my dog and we are going to have a big problem."

[Oak Smoke]

rmeugene I lost a beautiful lemon and white pointer to a careless shot from another hunter. We were quail hunting on an open hillside. There was no excuse for the shot. He was in full view watching the birds fly, waiting to retrieve. That was a long time ago. It still makes me mad.

[Donw]

The like is for you still thinking of your dog after all these years

[dpearce]

That all looks delicious! Not sure I would've been able to stop myself from eating it right out of the oven and off the grill!

Nice take on the pheasants. I've done squirrel, rabbit, and deer (whitetails), but never had a chance to do pheasants or doves, or ducks. Always wanted to try it, but never pursued it enough to get an invite. Plus, the goldens I've had weren't exactly gun trained. They'd probably cower and bolt the second a shot went off.

[cruiseplanner1]

Here is a link to the recipe I use. It is a turkey but I substitute pheasant in it. I also use real wild rice not the brown imitation that you buy in the stores. Got some from a Minnesota friend. You should like this. Turkey Wild Rice Soup Recipe

[Sweaty Paul]

Thank you!