Best Eating Upland Bird Poll

[mxgsfmdpx]

These were a hit on the smoker on Saturday night for our BBQ with about 40 folks. Brisket and beef ribs from our steer and these guys as an appetizer.

 

[wanderingwolf24]

Quail or fried Turkey nuggets!

 

[Russp]

Probably quail for me, followed by huns!

 

[manitou1]

Ha! I am the outlier.
Bobwhite is near the bottom of my list, just above wild turkey... and I have killed/eaten lots of both.

Chukar holds pretty high on my list, along with pheasant and sharpies.

 

[Solm]

For white meat ruffed grouse or mtn quail. Dark meat, snipe, no question for me. It’s right between five and teal flavor wise

quail are on my top 3 for sure.

 

[Blowdowner]

I’m in the camp that good birds don’t require sauces and other masking to make them good. To me good eating birds get dusted with flour, salt, and a little pepper and gently fried in lard.
Quail, grouse, pheasants, and doves get done this way at my house, on the bone for dove and quail. Don’t overcook and don’t forget the legs on grouse, pheasant, and quail.
I’m sure I’m in the minority but I’m a dark meat guy and I’ll take a dozen doves or 3 spruce hens over the others. Although Ruffed grouse or ptarmigan may be the perfect balance of not too dark but not white meat either.

Tear the thigh/drumstick right off doves and stack them on a skewer. Hearts too.

I would have voted for quail. plucked whole. Split down the middle lightly flour salt pepper and press into 1cm of hot oil.

If that’s not an option I’d say turkey. Plucked whole. Trick is to roast super slow overnight, cut the breast off in the morning and keep the rest going at 350 for an hour or two. There’s literally no way to get the breast and the dark meat done at the same time. The butt is the best just cut out the preening gland.

 

[Turkeytider]

Growing up in south Alabama, my dad and I hunted quail on my grandad’s farm. Mom would fix them, absolutely delicious!

On the poll, I voted pheasant. My first CO when I was in the service was from South Dakota and would bring back pheasants. His wife would prepare them in a casserole. That was in the mid 70’s and to this day I can remember how phenomenal it was! If allowed, I’m sure I would have eaten it until I got sick it was so good.

 

[Solm]

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.