Pheasant Recipes?

Thanks for the great read Chris! It really got me thinking about where and when it all started for me.

Two things really stick out in my mind, both of them had my dad not far from my side.

Starting at a young age you can’t beat cutting your teeth on slip bobbers. I don’t think I’ve ever bobber fished with anything but a slip bob and always wondered why all the other kids I fished with at out local pond would look strange at my set up. My oh so strange set up worked oh so well and it’s because that’s how dad taught me to do it. I’ve caught more fish in my life slip bobber fishing and to this day is it still one of my favorites!

The second would be the day my dad taught me to vertical jig, just so happens it was really close to were you got started eye fishing. It was a nice day on Lake Pepin and we were fishing below Maiden Rock when dad taught me the fine art of vertical jigging and everything just clicked. I will remember that day for the rest of my life. We caught a lot of fish that day even though a lot of them were sheepies and bass it sure was a blast!

I thank my dad for all that he has taught me in the outdoors and can’t wait to pass my knowledge down to my kids!

Thanks for the post!

Dave

You’re tuggin on alot of heart strings there Chris!

Fishing with Dad on the Mississippi, trolling cisco kids, watching with awe that mysterious fish in the net with glassy- marble eyes. Any pole was good, mostly zebcos with old shakespear rods.8 to 25lb.test, hell, line was line to a little kid.
Pops would order the ciscoe kids by the 12 gross, pick out the blue ones and watch his sons fight for the rest
Blue crankbaits? Who in their right mind would fish with a blue crank? Yep, Pops was way ahead of the game and just plain took the time to get his boys out there. Dad is 78 now and still teaches the pups a thing or two. Sometimes watching old schoolers slowing down and simplifying techniques while handing you your [censored] is a pretty darn good influence. Thanks for the great topic

Dick Grub from Chicago. He would come visit a week or 2 every summer in Aitkin to fish mille lacs. He made it a point to come get me out of bed every morning to go catch the launch out of Fishers resort. Those where some good old days. I was happy to see a picture of him hanging on the cooler at Fishers last week. Brings back memories.
Uncle Jim was also a great influence to. Thanks guys.

Stop being so humble RD you are my biggest fishing influence.
Just kidding.
My grandfather who was vice president of UMCO tackle boxes used to take me fishing when I was a wee scrapper. I guess my current influence that has made me such a rabid Rainy Lake freak is the unknown gentlemen in a bar who said “you are going fishing where!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, do you have any idea what that lake is?????????????????????????? Son you best get a handle on your pants now because Rainy Lake makes all others that you can get to without flying to look
silly” and he finished his drink and left.

Uncle Touchy

I started writing about this not too long ago and here is what I wrote.

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The inspiration and passion of my fishing comes from many sources over the years being a mix of all the people I have had the fortune to fish with. The largest influence of my fishing like many is my Grandfather. I spent many summers fishing with him for most of the summer fishing lakes, rivers and streams. We would enjoy all kinds of fishing adventures together teaching me the ethics and morals I have today for fishing, hunting and life in general. Teaching was much of my Grandfathers life being a minister and later being a Chaplin for the Brainerd Area Civil Air Patrol.
I spent a few weeks every summer with my Grandparents who lived across the street from White Sand Lake in Baxter Minnesota. There was a family I only knew as the Erickson’s who had a dock that we were allowed to fish from. If my Grandfather did not fish with me that is where I would be most of the day casting lures or live bait fishing for nothing but fun. My favorite trips were bullhead fishing for my Great Grandma who was from Iowa and loved them to eat. This meant that we would go catch frogs and get to the Boat launch where we fished from the dock for sunfish until dark when the bullheads came in shallow to feed. We would fish until the bugs were too much, then we would head home to clean fish before bed to ensure that there were no wasted fish. With my Grandfather there was no wanton waste and all fish were released unharmed back into the water.
Even now that I am a grown man I look back to fishing with my Grandfather and long for the satisfaction of the fishing with him. I often wear a hat that I received of his after very short battle with cancer. During this short time he fished through me and I would come back and tell him how the fishing was and what they were biting on. That is I coped with knowing I would lose him soon. He was and is an inspiration to me in more than just fishing but in life. Rarely a day goes by without me thinking of him and never a trip out fishing. Most of my success in fishing is due to my Grandfather but there are other large influences such as my Father, close family friends and a few guys I have met through fishing.

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Man I get friggin tears in my eyes every time I think of this.

Actually there were 2. First my dad loved to fish. But as an early teen looking for friends my age, I met a guy my age fishing crappies with his older brother on our local lake at a time when nobody else even knew there were crappies in there. I started hanging out with these 2 only to learn that they serious 2nd generation outdoorsman who not only liked fishing but hunted waterfowl, small game and deer and were into trapping too, not always within the parameters of the law. Dad capitalized on my newfound passion and took me fishing a lot and taught me how to trap too. Dad loved to fish for anything that was biting and provided table fare but northern pike were his favorite.

Wow….cool post

As a young-un my Dad got me out on the river soaking worms as often as he was able too. Then as I got big enough to handle a spinning reel the baits became spinners cranks and what have you…..thought I was the big kid on the block at this point I loved the time on the water which was spent in a 12 foot alumacraft with a 9hp Merc which was turned over to me in the summer when I was old enough to start it myself. It took a leap from the seat but I got er done

I thought open water fishing was cool but then Dad built us an ice shanty He would dump me off on his way to work so I could spend the day on the hard water with shelter to retreat to on the extreme cold days. I’m sure there were some PO’d old timers trying to fish while an hour was spent with a spud getting a hole through the ice. Every now and then a hole was drilled for me from a couple of the old farts (which is me now) that I did my best to make friends with.

Just when I thought I was becoming a fishing machine my Grandfather died and Dad built a house so Grandma could move in……OMG…..she was a fanatic about fishing We spent countless hours on the ice and in the boat together. In my mid teens grandma made sure to have a couple beers along to help me keep up my energy There were many ice fishing trips which started an hour before dark and if the crappies were around lasted hours after dark. You could say this is when my addiction for ice fishing took hold with a death grip Grandma Flossie taught me a ton about ice fishing and there are tricks I still use to this day

I still think of the good times and funny stories about Grandma when I’m out fishing for therapy, I also at times feel like she still has an eye looking out for me I am fortunate enough yet to be able to get Dad out on outings when he comes back to Wisconsin for a visit. We sure have shared some great times. I cannot thank these 2 enough for getting me in the outdoors.

Drowning worms w bobbers on Christmas lake near Excelsior, and then things really ramped up when my Dad took my little brother and myself to Bill Zupps resort on lovely Lac La Croix, (expliains the attraction to the borderlands)lots of smallies and pike w the a handfull of walleye. Still the biggest smallie I ever caught, what I remeber through a very cloudy memory was right @ 5.5 lbs.
MacIntosh’s toffee
Turkish Delight
Labatts
Cuban cigars
The crazy portage on the lil bus from Crane to Lac La Croix..those were the days

Being a Beverage professional RD I have to say that you can enjoy the flavor of coffee in the new Bailey’s Coffee Liqueur… that way you can get the taste you are looking for and nevermind the time you have to waste while the coffee is brewing… 3 to 4 ice cubes and you’re set.. it would leave you more time to finish the rest of the book you just started!

Guys, I need some ideas of what to do with pheasant.

Thanks!

Smoked!

I put mine in my smoker for 2.5 hours. Lightly season Charcoal type with water pan with soaked cherry chunks. Remove and wrap individually in aluminum foil with some butter and blacken and in the oven for 45 minutes at 350. Peels right apart, tender, and a great smoke flavor with a little kick. A buddy does a very similar one with them wrapped in bacon and on the smoker – YUM!

My favorite way to cook pheasant is in the crock pot with cream of mushroom soup. First I cook it in chicken broth, beer, water, or some combo of the 3 until the meat falls off the bone. I take the bones out, drain the broth, cut the meat into smaller chunks, and then add cream of mushroom soup. After everything cooks together awhile, I put it over noodles or rice.

If I just take the breast, I cook it up just like a chicken breast.

Pound out a breast wrap it around some jalepeno and then wrap the breast with bacon, bake it until the bacon is crispy. Maple bacon really gives it a nice flavor.

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Pound out a breast wrap it around some jalepeno and then wrap the breast with bacon, bake it until the bacon is crispy. Maple bacon really gives it a nice flavor.

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My mouth is watering now thanks.

I just might have to try this after I get time to chase a few roosters down.

Ingredients:

2 Whole pheasant breasts

1 large jar of Peperoncini peppers

2 packets of dry Ranch dressing mix

1 pk of bacon

1) Cube your pheasant breasts into bite sized chunks…approx 3/4” x 3/4”.

2) Cut a pack of bacon into three sections – bacon strips should be about 3” long.

3) Dredge the breast chunks in dry Ranch dressing mix

4) Wrap the dredged breast chunk and half of a Peperoncini pepper in a piece of bacon and stick a toothpick through the middle, to hold everything together.

5) Fill up a cookie sheet and cook for 25-35 min’s @ 425, or until the bacon starts to crisp.

6) Find a nice corner away from family and guests to enjoy them – because they are frickin’ AWESOME!!!

Recipe can be used with Grouse as well…

Lately I have been chunking up birds (grouse and farm pheasant) breading with my favorite fish coverings then deep frying. Best nuggets you ever had. We usually have several dipping sauces on hand including honey mustard, Cranberry mustard, etc but they stand alone without any sauce added.

I will pressure cook a majority of them. When they are done the meat falls off the bone. I make 1# bags and vacuum seal them. Then if I want tacos, or fajitas, or alfredo or whatever I just thaw out a bag. throw it in a skillet and make dinner.

I also like to cube them, marinate in beer, wrap a cube of meat, touch of cream cheese, and a jalepeno, and wrap it in bacon and grill it.

I know someone who smokes them too.

He uses half sugar, half brown sugar, half salt, half canning salt and water of course. Delicious brine!!

Fife wrote:

My favorite way to cook pheasant is in the crock pot with cream of mushroom soup. First I cook it in chicken broth, beer, water, or some combo of the 3 until the meat falls off the bone. I take the bones out, drain the broth, cut the meat into smaller chunks, and then add cream of mushroom soup. After everything cooks together awhile, I put it over noodles or rice.

If I just take the breast, I cook it up just like a chicken breast.

I do a simplified version of the above. I debone the meat and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Then I put it in a crockpot with a can or two of cream of mushroom soup and half a packet o dry onion soup mix. Set it on low in the morning and it’s ready-made supper. Add little red potatoes and carrots to the pot for the full monte, or eat it over noodles or wild rice.

In the early 90’s I worked for a guy that moved to the cities from Iowa. He invited me to dinner for Pheasant.
Not being a big fan of the bird I didn’t set my expectations too high.
I could have eaten the entire crock pot full of the the tatsty dish.
He didn’t give me the complete recipe, just told me he cut up the breasts, lightly breaded them, alot of pepper and a bottle of red wine. Served it over noodles.