Tips on Cooking Pheasant

Fresh pheasants taste better than frozen.

Pheasants were imported to the United States from China in 1881. People often hunt pheasants during the hunting season, which is typically between October and February, but varies from state to state. Young pheasants are considered the best for eating and farm-raised pheasants don't need tenderizing. When cooking pheasant, there are tips to make it tender and delicious.

Cook Time

The best results for a tender, mouth-watering pheasant is to cook it for a longer amount of time at a lower temperature. Slow cooking it keeps it from drying out. If you are cooking it in the oven, preheat the over and set it to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and allow it to cook for 40 to 45 minutes. If you are grilling it, keep it from direct flame or put it on a higher rack.

Basting

Basting the pheasant often is another good way to keep it moist. For added flavor, sprinkle the pheasant with salt and pepper. In the roasting pan, put 2 tbsp. of butter and two whole cloves of garlic and a dash of lemon juice. This will create a nice basting sauce for a flavorful, moist pheasant. The pheasant can also be marinated overnight which also creates a delicious basting sauce.

Stuffing

Pheasants are often stuffed with other ingredients for added taste and variety. There are different things that can be used for the stuffing. For example, pheasants are stuffed with rice or a mixture of cheeses. Vegetables, such as celery and mushrooms, will also be used in combination for stuffing. Depending on what type of stuffing you like, there is a variety of recipes to make your pheasant even tastier.

Other Tips

Just like other birds, there are different ways to cook pheasant. Marinating and grilling pheasant is a healthy, tasty way to cook it. One of the easiest ways to cook it is in a crock pot. Roasting pheasant is a common way to cook it and if preparing frozen pheasant, be sure it is completely thawed. If cooking a wild pheasant, hanging it upside down helps tenderize it.

References

• Pheasant Hunting: Pheasant Cooking Tips
• "Cooks": Pheasant and Wild Rice Stuffing
• "Guardian": How To Prepare and Cook a Pheasant