How To Prepare Grouse

[Uzi]

Hey Fellow Hunters This Years Been Dry and Mild and the Grouse seem to be everywhere i got my limit of ruffed in just one covey!!:smile: my experience in cooking grouse is very little and i'm looking for ways to "prep" The meat Before you even make it into a recipe! I know if not done right their tough and dry! Ive been Told To soak them in milk or lemon juice? any clarification or help would be greatly appreciated And if you got any wicked recipes throw them my way i love to hunt and i Love to cook what i harvest
Thanks
Uzi

[TARCHER]

Simply put them into look bags and bake them. no more dry grouse

[LupieHunter]

Shake n bake grouse is delicious.

[albravo2]

In the past I've quartered the breast meat then quick pan fry with some onions and a dash of curry paste.

I have one in the fridge right now, going to try wrapping it in bacon and putting it on the smoker.

You can't go wrong.

I hope you cut tags for each of them;-)

[Mikey Rafiki]

They are great any way. Just don't expect anything fat and juicy. My toddler loves them breaded like chicken strips and I enjoy it in a slow cooker with mushroom soup and toss some egg noodles and veggies for the last couple hours.

Only cut 2 Ruffy and one Blue tag so far.

[luckofthedraw]

subscribed. I haven't found something I really love yet.

[Glenny]

I make KFG fingers. Dredge in flour with salt, and what ever herbs n spices you like, dip in egg wash, dredge again and deep fry. Choose your own dip like sweet and sour or plum sass or peanut sauue or what ever you like. Dont cook grouse too long or it turns to rubber.

[bc-hunter]

We tried cooking grouse a few different ways and our favorite so far is in the slow cooker, because the meat gets nice and tender. If you don't like the "gamey" taste, you can experiment with soaking the cleaned meat in a mixture of milk and water overnight.

[Riverratz]

Do you like, or have you tried "Beef Stoganoff" over noodles ? Just substitute cut up grouse for the beef.
Simple and easy, moist and tender grouse meat. Don't make the grouse chunks too large.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beef_stroganoff/

[B.C.Boy(100%)]

I toss them in the fridge or cooler if out in the field for at least one day more if you can, just like fish before prepping them for eating, they do get softer.
When I say toss them in the fridge, they can be skinned and breasted, or whole guts in all.
After that Bobs your uncle on what recipe you want try.

If I'm camping/hunting and just can't wait for some fresh meat, then it's a green fresh split 1" alder board over the fire with the de-skinned grouse on top, served with fresh salal berry chutney and fried gizzard.

An old man my grandfather use to know would hang his grouse outside whole, any weather, until the feathers would start to pull off with ease, he would pull the feathers off then remove the guts, then cut out the maggots and cook up the remaining portions, it was gross to see as a kid, and I was reluctant to try it after seeing that, but thats what he did.

[Squamch]

I like em breaded and fried, or split the breasts off the bone and lay em in a baking pan, with a strip of good bacon over each.

slow cooker for stew is good too.

[M.Dean]

My Mother used to love her grouse hunting, she'd take the breasts and pound them out a bit with a meat hammer, then on top of the grouse breast she'd put a big slice of Swiss cheese and a thin slice of ham, roll it up and put it into a hot cast frying pan with butter and garlic, salt and pepper, and once you try cooking grouse like that, that's the way you'll cook it from then on! Thanks Mum!

[Uzi]

That's awesome guys thanks a ton

[avadad]

Here's some that look pretty good!
http://honest-food.net/?s=grouse&submit=Search

[hare_assassin]

They aren't chickens, so you don't have to cook the crap out of them.

Bone out the breasts. Salt, pepper, herbs de provence. Hot cast iron pan with oil. About 1 minute per side. Nice and pink and juicy inside.

[Ubertuber]

Whatever way you do prepare them, don't overcook them. Overcooked and they are tough and chewy. Cooked right and they will be soft and juicy.
A lot of people that tend to overcook things complain about the quality.

[RugDoctor]

"I like em breaded and fried, or split the breasts off the bone and lay em in a baking pan, with a strip of good bacon over each."

is there such a thing as bad bacon :) Great idea!

[Ryo]

As with any lean meat, high temp is your friend. I BBQ'd grouse breast last night at 550 for about 2 minutes aside, just with salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil. Moist and tender, but thoroughly cooked. Only cook it for 1 minute aside if you're OK eating it medium rare - a concept that takes some getting used to after growing up eating chicken.

Hot and fast OR low and slow. 350 degrees is not your friend.

[honeyman76]

A new recipe that I tried and liked: soak in a mixture of buttermilk etc. Here is the recipe. I did a few blues de-boned and sliced into strips with some spruce and it was awesome:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/178809/southern-style-buttermilk-fried-chicken/

[OKsean]

Schnitzel. Debone breast and pound flat. Let soak in milk bath for about an hour before cooking. Dredge in flour with spices, then egg, then bread crumbs. Fry with plenty of butter. Had it for dinner last night, by far my favourite way to eat 'em. Tender, not gamey tasting, delicious.

[Shooter]

My wife did some up the other night and she tried brining them before cooking. They were SOOOOO tender and juicy it was unbelievable. It will be our go-to method from now on. After brining the breasts you can cook them however you want. I will ask her later what her brine actually consisted of. Mostly just a salt water brine I think.

[Shooter]

My wife said she did 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar and just enough water to cover for about 4 hours before rinsing and cooking as desired. Man was it good. I never knew grouse could be so tender and juicy. This was for only 2 grouse breasts. increase as needed I suppose

[Daybreak]

Thank you Shooter. I will have to try that. I imagine you could add a few spices or touch of teriyaki etc to the brine.

[Shooter]

ya I guess so, I think she also had some garlic in there. But that gets rinsed off and then she breaded them, seasoned them and fried them up in strips. We cook them that way lots but that was the first time she brined them first and they were super tender. One of my favourite breading for grouse strips is crushed up soda crackers. delicious

[AgSilver]

Evening, gentlemen and ladies. First post.

I tend to do a lot of reading on cooking and I remember pretty clearly reading from a reliable source (Serious Eats, I believe...or maybe Stella Culinary or ATK, sorry, I don't recall specifically) that flavouring your brine does little to no good. Basically salt, sugar, and water (without taking the time to verify the strict figures, I think a good brine is something like 5-10% salt and 2'ish% sugar) are all that you need. Or, if you want to take it up a notch, you can dry brine (salt the heck out of the breasts, leave them uncovered in your fridge overnight, at a minimum....longer if you can). The dry brine gives the moisture retention properties of the brine without introducing excess water into the tissue. More meat, more flavour, less excess water.

I went on my first couple of hunts last fall with my dad and took three grouse (wasn't really what we were looking for, but it's what I ended up with). I made them the other day...did a wet brine over night and then rinsed them off and stored them in the fridge for the rest of the day. Cooked them 'sous vide' at 58 degrees Celsius. I love SV for poultry (and related meat...most meat generally, actually). Perfectly tender, not a hint of being over cooked. WAY over seasoned though because we had people over for dinner and I was in a hurry to get the breasts in the bath and forgot about having brined them the night before and so salted them as I normally would unbrined meat before bagging. Stupid move. Still good, but way too salty. But perfectly cooked and wonderfully tender. Might even try a lower temp next time.

Anyhow, short version, for perfectly cooked grouse breast, cook them sous vide, if you can.

[Knute]

This is a chicken recipe...substitute grouse or hare...really good.

Lettuce wraps (http://www.food.com/recipe/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps-15865?photo=35493)

[barry1974w]

http://www.denzelshotsauce.com/sesamechicken.htm

awesome. I use less meat,more sesame seeds, and try really hard not yo overlook the breasts.

[835]

First... dont over cook them lol.....

standard camp recipies....

first
1) loads of grouse
2) loads of Onions
3) loads of butter
4) Salt and pepper and Garlic powder..
5) Fry...... but dammit.... dont over cook them ok!

Second.
this one is perfect for the "just in case i didnt get any grouse meal but i want to plan on it meal" Ie good with grouse or without and will not spoil
1)at home buy a can of alfredo sauce and a pack of noodles....
2) mushrooms and onions...
3) fry grouse in mushrooms and onions...
4) empty sauce directly into mushrooms and onions and Bird.
5) boil noodles
Put down the Lucky Son its dinner time!

Third,
Same as #2
2 cans mushroom soup...
mushrooms and onions and bird.....

pour over rice...
i have done this with a blend of Potabelos, chantrelles and Shaggies..mmmmmmmmmmmm oh... Garlic! you need that.....
Stop the Crib game and pour a rum.. its dinner

[capt hook]

we take a grouse breast , put it onto a nice fresh green willow stick and that is fairly thick and sharp end .
wrap breast in bacon , salt and pepper and if you drinking a glass of wine , pour some over it , or your beer...lean it over the campfire so its hot but not in flame.. roast it until u see the juice starting to run...slice a piece off with your jack knife...if done , go to er.....enjoy the campfire way....

[sfp]

For grouse I use a meat hammer to flatten them. Almost see through. Seasoned flour and fry in butter.
Try adding pickle spice to your brine. Also chilies if you like some bite. Without a doubt adds flavor. My go to for hams,jerky and many other meats.
Soy sauce as a substitute for some of the salt adds great flavor also.

[capt hook]

my favorite is to wrap in bacon , salt and pepper and ram onto a sharp stick and cook over the campfire....yummmmmmy

[Squamch]

I ate myself nearly sick on 4 grouse sort of grouse fingers last night.
http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/rednecksamwise/379BF9AB-7281-40E0-B8E2-5C72A493014A.jpg (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/rednecksamwise/media/379BF9AB-7281-40E0-B8E2-5C72A493014A.jpg.html)

[barry1974w]

First... dont over cook them lol.....

standard camp recipies....

first
1) loads of grouse
2) loads of Onions
3) loads of butter
4) Salt and pepper and Garlic powder..
5) Fry...... but dammit.... dont over cook them ok!

Second.
this one is perfect for the "just in case i didnt get any grouse meal but i want to plan on it meal" Ie good with grouse or without and will not spoil
1)at home buy a can of alfredo sauce and a pack of noodles....
2) mushrooms and onions...
3) fry grouse in mushrooms and onions...
4) empty sauce directly into mushrooms and onions and Bird.
5) boil noodles
Put down the Lucky Son its dinner time!

Third,
Same as #2
2 cans mushroom soup...
mushrooms and onions and bird.....

pour over rice...
i have done this with a blend of Potabelos, chantrelles and Shaggies..mmmmmmmmmmmm oh... Garlic! you need that.....
Stop the Crib game and pour a rum.. its dinner


I do do one that's very similar to number two, but I use tortellini instead of regular pasta, just because it makes more of a meal if the grouse aren't cooperating. And a bit of bacon if there's any around. It's a great, quick camp meal.

[Gumsehwah]

Stuffed myself on grouse chow mien for lunch today. :-)

[Carrollizer]

Wish they were open during spring bear season. I have the best luck seeing game out of season

[tigrr]

Salt, pepper and butter. Just don't overcook it. Then it's a boot leather.

[ajr5406]

That looks killer...



I ate myself nearly sick on 4 grouse sort of grouse fingers last night.
http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/rednecksamwise/379BF9AB-7281-40E0-B8E2-5C72A493014A.jpg (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/rednecksamwise/media/379BF9AB-7281-40E0-B8E2-5C72A493014A.jpg.html)