There was a chill in the air today. I know that those words instantly brought about a flurry of rage in many of you, but for us hunters, when the weather starts hinting that Fall is around the corner, it is just like starting the Advent Calendar as a kid. What an immense joy it is that rests at the end of the countdown: The Opener. I don’t care if that “Opener” that you countdown to is for waterfowl, deer, small game, or even javalia. If you are a hunter, I know that you are also probably starting to get a little giddy right about now.
But if you’re like me and use the rest of the year to load up your freezer with Spring turkey or fish, then some of your harvest from last Fall may have worked it’s way to the bottom of your beloved appliance. I tend to let the less desirable cuts fall into this category. So what’s a lover of the outdoors, who would never waste what he procures on his annual quest for his own organic meat to do? Break out Mom’s cookbook of course.
As I’ve mentioned, my mother is a saint walking among us here on God’s green Earth. Add to that her prowess in the kitchen and you have a blessing which you better never take for granted. So when she gave each of us a cookbook with all her seemingly divine-inspired recipes... well... let’s just say I’m getting closer and closer to storing that written gold in our fireproof safe.
So, as I thumbed through the kajillion recipes, one caught my eye as it tore me out of the moment and sent me right back into her kitchen. There’s nothing complicated or ingenious about this one per se, but it is the perfect recipe for getting rid of those duck breasts (and if your brave like me... wings and legs too). Facing the challenge of making the waterfowl that we brought home each trip somehow taste good was nothing new for her. But this bad boy was one of her go-tos to remedy that “foul” tasting meat we reaped from the woods. It is so versatile that it doesn’t even have a name. She cleverly calls it “For the Birds.”
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2-3 lbs pheasant, duck, goose or grouse
Directions:
Mix water, soy sauce, sugar, pineapple juice, oil, garlic powder, and ginger in a medium bowl.
Pour mixture over meat in a large baking dish, cover, and marinate overnight.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Drain juice and place meat back in baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Adjust oven temperature to 450° and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
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