Pheasant

Pleasant Crock Pheasant

PheasantSome of my fondest memories from my four short years living on Colorado’s front-range just north of Denver was the amazing opportunities for hunting upland game.

There were plenty of public and private prairies upon which one could hunt pheasant, quail and chukar. Having hunted these upland birds for a few years before ever joining a trap league, I certainly felt I had an advantage when I finally tried my hand at taking out the clay versions.

Although, I always preferred the real deal when it came to putting something in the crock pot.

Here is a friend’s awesome and unique recipe I like for crock-pot pheasant.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pheasants
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup tamari
  • 3tbs worcestershire sauce
  • 3tbs dark brown sugar
  • 2tbs minced garlic
  • 1tbs liquid smoke
  • 1tbs hot sauce
  • 3tbs balsamic vinegar
  • ½ diced onion

Create a brine with the salt and enough water to cover the pheasants in a large bowl. Let soak for 1-2 hours. After soaking, rinse pheasants under cold water and place in a large glass  or plastic bowl with the remainder of the ingredients except the chicken broth.

Cover and refrigerate pheasants and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and no  more than 8 hours.

Remove the pheasants from the marinade and place in a slow cooker or crock pot. Add chicken broth to cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. This particular recipe yields a savory pheasant ideal for the addition of barbeque sauce or a warm and spicy fruit salsa.