FILET PREP -- Remove filet from bone, being careful to leave inner "Tenderloin" attached. Lightly score silverskin side of filet with a sharp knife to minimize shrinkage. Lay tenderloin open, and make a pocket cut in the thick portion of the fillet opposing the tenderloin.
STUFFING -- 1 fresh french bread, cubed or chopped in a food processor, 1 pound of sausage, 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 cup chicken or pheasant stock. Seasoning can include using seasoned sausage, such as chorizo (Mexican), cajun, italian, etc., or you can use traditional stuffing seasoning such as sage and thyme. Brown sausage and saute vegetables in skillet. Place bread and other ingredients in large bowl and mix stock in thoroughly. The stuffing mixture should be like a stiff cookie dough.
FINAL PREP -- Place several tablespoonfuls of stuffing in pocket and cover with tenderloin. Pin tenderloin in place with 2-3 toothpicks and brown filet in small amount of butter or margarine. Place browned filets in uncovered baking dish and bake at 325 degrees to internal temp of 180 degrees, or 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from baking dish, and make a white gravy using pan drippings, flour and milk.
Serve with gravy.
Options include adding or changing stuffing ingredients, such as sauteed mushrooms, different sausages, or other types of bread, including cornbread.
When preparing filets as above, save meat from thighs, back and upper drumstick and freeze in airtight containers. (Should yield 8-10 ounces per bird.) Other parts can be included, such as shot-up breast pieces of pheasant, quail or ruffed grouse.
When you have accumulated a supply of meat grind with beef fat at about 4-5 parts pheasant with 1 part fat.
For a low-fat, low-cholesterol version of this I've discovered that adding 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil will work as well. This is handy for grinding in small batches in a hand-operated grinder. Bigger batches are best left to a game processor.
This ground meat can be used for patties, meatloaf, hamburger steak, and hamburger gravies. It can also be seasoned to make an excellent breakfast, or italian. Because it is white meat, it will work well for anything that calls for pork sausage.
1 Pheasant - Cut up
Flour
Butter
8 oz Carton Sour Cream
2 Cups Water
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Few drops Tabasco Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
Dash Sweet Basil
Dash Rosemary
Salt and Pepper
Dust pieces of pheasant with flour and brown in butter. Mix sour cream and water. Add remaining ingredients to sour cream mixture. Pour sour cream mixture in a covered roaster and add pheasant. Bake at 325 F for several hours or until tender.
Yield: 8 Servings
2 Cups Cooked Pheasant, Cut in 1 inch bites
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken of Chicken Soup
1/2 Jar Medium Salsa
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Cup Monterey Jack/Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Onion Chopped
1 Package Corn Tortillas cut in strips
Combine pheasant, soups, onion, salsa, sour cream and 3/4 cheese.
Layer mixture with tortilla strips. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F
BASIC STOCK -- (Requires about 3 pheasants) After boning the carcass separate legbones, breast bone, and back from pelvis. (Because the pelvic area is often tainted, and contains kidneys it should be discarded.)
Place the bones in a large stockpot with a small amount of cooking oil and 1/2 cup each coarsely chopped onion, carrots and celery. Brown thoroughly on high heat, until vegetables begin to caramelize and the meat is well-done. (Undercooking will cause cloudy stock from blood cooked out of the meat into the stock.) The dark color of the caramelized vegetables makes a rich, dark stock, about the color of tea.
Add water to cover and simmer until meat can be easily removed from bones. Take bones out of stock and strain stock to remove remaining vegetables and scraps. Season to taste.
Remove meat from bones and reserve for soup.
Soup is completed by cooking noodles, rice, wild rice, barley, vegetables, or potatoes in the stock. Meat is added at the last minute to heat through. A small amount of cornstarch dissolved in water can be added to give body to the stock.
