Best tasting Bird?

TheShadow · Post by **TheShadow** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:45 am

My friends who do not hunt wanted me to describe the "flavor" of game birds. I don't know, I have a hard time doing this. Sometimes I just say "tastes like chicken" but I wish I could describe it more in detail. All I can say at times is "tastes good if cooked correctly".

My faves are:

Pheasant
Bobwhite Quail
Ruffed Grouse

Bottom of the list is woodcock, i dont know, just don't like the taste.

I can go on but I like those the best. My friend told me about 7yrs ago he ate grouse with his father in law after a hunting trip (friend does not hunt) and he actually got really sick. So I think it wasn't cooked properly but then again no one else got sick he said. He also said he bit down on a pellet and that turned him off big time. He told me he'd like to "sample" some more game birds today but is unsure about getting sick again and wanted me to describe each and their flavor. What do you guys think?

corytch · Post by **corytch** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:22 pm

i enjoy a deep fried wild turkey. i go to a perserve to hunt pheasant several times a year and i am yet to find a recipethat i like

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:48 pm

To eliminate pellets: 1. remove as many as possible while cleaning 2. boil a game bird until the meat is ready to fall off the bone. Drain the water. Pick the meat off the bone in chunks, carefully exposing and removing any remaining pellets. The meat can now be added to almost any dish you want to create.

Based upon available upland birds in our region, my choices in order are:

1. Pheasant
2. Ruffed Grouse
3. Hungarian Partridge
4. Sharptail
5. Dove

I've never gotten sick after eating a game bird. IMO the upland birds with white meat taste the most like Rock Cornish Game Hens you can buy in most grocery stores. The birds with dark meat seem to always have a stronger "wild" flavor.

wannabe · Post by **wannabe** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:51 pm

My favorite game birds are:

#1 Famous Grouse
#2 Wild Turkey
#3 whoops, wrong list

let's try this again...

#1 Wild Turkey
#2 Ruffed Grouse
#3 Pheasant
#4 Chukar
#5 Bobwhite Quail
#6 Hungarian Partridge

markj · Post by **markj** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:56 pm

My fav is quail, pheas next. When we were kids we used to see how many pellets we could find and the one with the most won and didnt have to do dishes so I dont mind a bb or two. To get rid of em I bone out the bird remove any if there are any (I head shot most I got these many years) flash fry the meat, add a sauce of choice spoon over wide noodles or mashed potatoes it is real good.

I also have a recipe where you brown the meat in butter, add the spices like onion and celery, garlic etc, pour a heated cup of brandy over and light it up burning off the alchohol, add heavy whipping cream and bake in the oven until all is done. Yummy stuff there, no gamyness taste at all.

I used to take head shots to my Grandma, she loved pheasant and would eat one all by herself, she lived to be 97

I do miss taking her them birds.

She wanted a bird one year, cousin and I went out, didnt see any at all. Was getting ready to head home I said lets walk that small piece and see whats up. I got 5 in the bag in like 20 minutes. She ate real good that night

The good Lord was looking out for her I imagine and made sure one of her last pheas meals was a good one.

edondero · Post by **edondero** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:08 pm

i've only had quail from the freezer section of the gro store. i envy you all.
...but that time when i went to the store to get the meat, my gsp was in the car with me. i told her i was going to get some birdies, guess who jumped out of the car and showed up in the store. maybe she thought i needed her help.

Gabe · Post by **Gabe** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:10 pm

I’m partial to wild birds in my area. I’ve only been able to eat pen raised pheasants so they aren’t high on my list but I’m sure wild birds like wild trout are much better then stockies.
Now I rate this based on how they’re cooked if its good by just roasting it or frying it in butter then it makes the list, you can make most any bird taste good if you cover it in seasoning or marinate.
That being said I have very found memories of dove barbeques while stationed in AZ but I’ll keep them off the list

Grouse are number one I love the rich taste
Then turkey
Then timber doodles
Then wild duck mainly because I just can’t cook them

IANative · Post by **IANative** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:01 pm

1. Quail
2. Pheasant
3. Turkey
4. Duck/goose
5. Dove

Not a big fan of either duck or dove, but here's a recipe that makes them palatable for even the pickiest eaters:

Take the breasts (whole breasts for dove and smaller ducks, 1/2 breasts for larger ducks) and tenderize them. I use a Jacquard. Marinate tenderized breasts overnight in a mixture of terriaki sauce, minced onions, and seasoned meat tenderizer. Wrap marinated breasts around a jalapeno (or milder pepper for you girlie-men). Then wrap 1/2 slice bacon around the breast and secure the entire mess w/ a toothpick or kabob stick. Grill (charcoal or gas), turning often, just until bacon is cooked. Serve immediately.

Note- I use the same recipe when making my venison kabobs, although I don't wrap the meat around the pepper. I just cube and tenderize the backstrap, marinate and wrap in bacon as described above, then skewer on kabob sticks w/ mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, jalapenos and cherry tomatoes.

They're "slap yer mama" good!

scout_on_38s · Post by **scout_on_38s** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:14 pm

Most all upland birds taste good wrapped in bacon on the grill. I usually marinate for an hour before in whatever premade stuff I get at the store. Usually add garlic, onion and worstershire sauce. Wrap in bacon and toothpick together. Grill. My wife who is a little picky about game, loves them. I do the same for turkey, phez, quail and doves.

Went to some friends this weekend. I've never been a big duck or goose fan but they had marinated in some teryaki stuff and grill tasted almost like venison back straps.

Key for all is to not over cook. Nothing worse then dried out tough game.

TheShadow · Post by **TheShadow** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:25 pm

How would you guys describe the flavor of grouse? when i tell people i eat "grouse" they are like, "are you kidding me!?!?!??!" and get freaked out some think its some kind of mouse or rat!

but in reality its a pretty tasty bird.

Quail you can get at the store so... that's not that special

Doves are not for me. I tried it a few times (never hunted them) and I didn't like it. Same goes for woodcock, hunted it a few times but i just do not like the taste.

i love duck but i admit i do not hunt them. i usually get that when i go out to dinner at a restaurant. same goes for goose. My old friend who hunted geese and ducks with his chessie had me try it once and I didn't want to be mean but it was terrible. He tried to cook goose and the thing tasted foul!!!!! same went for his ducks! i think he needs a lesson in cooking!

has anyone every gotten sick from eating a wild game bird? just curious. I personally never have.

markj · Post by **markj** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:40 pm

Used to have a friend here she was a Chinese trained Chef, she marinated pheas in a ginger sauce then cooked em, taste was out of this world. She moved back to Hong Kong tho and it is just too far to travel.

Used to field dress em and take em to her resturant in Bellevue Ne.

Dirtysteve · Post by **Dirtysteve** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:34 pm

Best tasting birds, hands down is Chukar.
Maybe they taste so good because of how hard you have to work for them

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:04 am

TS,

The next time someone asks you to describe the flavor of Ruffed Grouse ask them to describe the flavor of chicken or just tell them grouse tastes a little like Bald Eagle!

RuttCrazed · Post by **RuttCrazed** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:29 pm

Dirtysteve wrote:Best tasting birds, hands down is Chukar.
Maybe they taste so good because of how hard you have to work for them

+1!

Rut

nj gsp · Post by **nj gsp** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:40 pm

Well, it always bothers me when someone says that such-and-such wild game meat tastes like something else - something common, like chicken or beef.

When people ask me what pheasant taste like, I tell them it tastes like pheasant. Chukar? Tastes like Chukar. Deer meat? Tastes like deer meat.

But Ruffed Grouse is the only wild bird I've every eaten that did, in fact, taste a lot like chicken. Only drier.

If you want to cook wild bird meat and have it turn our moist, tender, and juicy, try brining it. We started brining our Christmas turkey a few years ago, and it produces the moistest, juiciest turkey you ever had.

So I started brining my wild game birds too, especially pheasant. Awesome!

Here's my preference:

Ruffed Grouse
Pheasant
Quail
Chukar

Bird Dog 67 · Post by **Bird Dog 67** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:52 am

Ruffed Grouse. Lock the thread.....................discussion over.

Oviously I'm partial to Mr. Ruffles but following him would be:

Pheasant
Chuckar
Woodcock (When made PROPERLY!!!)

Mike50 · Post by **Mike50** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:24 pm

Grouse #1 Pheasant #2

nj gsp · Post by **nj gsp** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:12 pm

Maybe this thread should have been a poll! Looks like Ruffies are pulling ahead...

snowman · Post by **snowman** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:58 pm

I love my pheasant. Roll it arround in a little fish fry batter and drop it in some penut oil and your good to go. Every other bird I shoot gets ground up into pep sticks with 50% beef.

Casey J.

Razor · Post by **Razor** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:53 pm

Valley Quail are my fav for sure.

grouseMNchessies · Post by **grouseMNchessies** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:36 pm

rufffed grouse
pheasant
teal