How to cook game birds
Information for game birds in our free cooking ingredients collection.
Game birds
Game birds is a broad category that includes any wild bird hunted and eaten as food. These birds include the following:
- Large birds such as wild turkey and goose.
- Medium-sized birds, including pheasant, guinea fowl, and wild duck.
- Small birds, such as grouse, hazel hen, lark, mud hen, partridge, pigeon, and quail.
Game birds that have domestic counterparts, such as turkey and duck, can provide an overwhelming taste if you have grown used to the supermarket variety. However, these birds are usually leaner than mass-market birds and even leaner than farm-raised “wild” game. If you are fortunate to have a hunter in the family, you may have good access to game birds. For most people, however, finding game birds will be difficult, although specialty stores may be of help. Sometimes, game birds are sold frozen, and smaller birds may be sold canned.
How to cook game birds
When buying game birds, avoid those with an “off” odor. If you are preparing birds you have hunted yourself, check with a local hunting organization or gaming officer, because preparation tips differ from region to region according to weather conditions. Because wild birds can be the leanest of any poultry, they may benefit from marinating. They usually are also basted during roasting. Older birds are best cooked with slow, moist heat such as braising or used in soups or stews.
Do not overcook game birds. Test for doneness by plunging a fork into the fleshiest part of the thigh and by using a meat thermometer. For light-fleshed birds, the juices should run clear. For dark-fleshed birds, the juices should be light pink.
Serving suggestions
Game birds can be used in place of traditional poultry in many dishes. In meals with game birds as the main course, a traditional side dish is potatoes or sauerkraut. Small birds may be stuffed with a few green olives and garlic.
Previous ingredients
The best free cooking ingredients collection online!
Many thanks for visiting cooking-ingredients.com! Be sure to bookmark us and come back soon. We are always adding new, free cooking ingredients to our collection! Please tell your friends about cooking-ingredients.com!
Other great recipes sites