aging grouse

[new hunter]

Got a few grouse last year , found that they all seem a bit tough and dry . Should I be aging them ,if so how and for how long . Ive heard that you should age birds in the fridge for three days , but Im concerned about food poisoning . Ive tried marinating them , baking and frying . Any recipes or cooking instructions would be apreciated as well as opinions on aging .
My wife says she doesn't want too eat them any more and thinks I should stop hunting them {yeah right} so any help would be greatly apreciated lol.

[The Dawg]

Ive never had a problem before (needing aging).

I just cut them up into small cubes and fry them, then toss them with some bbq sauce. Delish.

[sarg]

grouse is a dry tough bird, i found wraping it in bacon really helps, my favorite is

3 stripes of bacon,box of stove top stuffing, and both side of the breast and tin foil to wrap it in.
-first lay the bacon down put one side of the breast down on top of it
-cook the stove top and put a spoon full or so on top of the breast
-then put the other side of the breast on top of the stove top and wrap the bacon then wrap every thing in tin foil and cook it and eat it so for thats the best i found for cooking grouse.
sarg

[Gateholio]

I personally think grouse should age at least overnight, to make sure that any rigor mortis is over with. I always remove the guts before aging, although some guys don't. If it's dry, then it means you are cooking it too long. Grouse meat is lean and delicate, it shouldn't be cooked too much. It should be heated through but still juicy. I tend to cook them medium.

[new hunter]

If I take a deer this year should I age that ?

[Gateholio]

Yes, you should age deer. PROPER aging improves all meat, unless it's been cut up into small pieces and deboned on the spot Then the benefits of aging are less.

[Pioneerman]

I have eaten grouse minutes after shooting them and never had a tough bird. Generally they are days later, or that evening. I like they on the BBQ or fried, but the way I like it best is cut into cubes and shake and bake , then on tray into oven. These little nuggets don't last long I had to do up probably 8 breasts one night just for snack food around the camp.mmmmmmmmmm

[jrhunter]

I've found that cooking really slowly and not for too long will make them a little more tender.

[Big G Hunter]

I like to cut them in thin strips and fry them in a wok with a bunch of spices. Bake some fries and you got yourself a nice little lunch. Ruffed grouse are the best, if you start getting fool hens and spruce grouse definately need to add a liitle chicken stock when frying, turns out nice!

[moosinaround]

I personally think grouse should age at least overnight, to make sure that any rigor mortis is over with. I always remove the guts before aging, although some guys don't. If it's dry, then it means you are cooking it too long. Grouse meat is lean and delicate, it shouldn't be cooked too much. It should be heated through but still juicy. I tend to cook them medium.
I find it kinda funny to hear a man like Gatehouse use a sentence with "Delicate" in it!!;) Anyways, try battering grouse and deep frying it!! MMMM Good!! Or fry it with some bacon and Pork and Beans!! Or BBQ'in it wrapped in foil with some garlic seasoning and pepper. Moosin

[Gateholio]

I find it kinda funny to hear a man like Gatehouse use a sentence with "Delicate" in it!!;) Anyways, try battering grouse and deep frying it!! MMMM Good!! Or fry it with some bacon and Pork and Beans!! Or BBQ'in it wrapped in foil with some garlic seasoning and pepper. Moosin

Heck, I was a pastry chef at one time, too.:mrgreen:

Grouse meat is pretty delicate. Lots of guys use recipes like yours, either breaded or battered, or they wrap it in bacon. All that stuff is great but if I can, I like to treat grouse breast very gently and pan fry it, then make a sauce form the pan drippings and some chicken stock, herbs and butter, and that's it. The grouse flavour certainly stands out more than when they are wrapped in bacon/breaded etc.

But it's all good, no matter how it's cooked!:-D

[SimilkameenSlayer]

sea salt, grape seed oil [has little flavor and can take a higher heat], Yukon gold potatoes, onions, fry up on the old wood stove with adding the whole grouse breasts a little later.

personally, i don't my mind a chewy grouse breast with great flavor.

:mrgreen:

edit, i agree with Gatehouse, "But it's all good, no matter how it's cooked!.. "

[saskbooknut]

I concur with previous posts - if your grouse is dry it is overcooked.
Try this - split grouse either side of the breastbone and flatten - called "spatchcocking" them. You can cut them right in half just as well if they are easier for you to handle.
Marinade for 3 or so hours with olive oil, rice wine vinegar and herbs, oregano and thyme from our garden normally
Cook on the BBQ until just barely done - medium or until juices are just clear
If this does not do it for you - save the grouse for me.

[Foxton Gundogs]

2 schools of thought...... an old Brit that mentered my early dog training always said "Ang oum oop by the nick till the gots fall dun and plug the oss ole un their fit 't eat". GREAT dog trainer not much of a chef in my oppinion, My take is fresh grouse brest cubed, nice seasoned flour coating in hot oil drain and a good dip....Grouse McNuggets nothing better!!

[Don_Abbate]

cut your birds into sections and throw it in a pan of onions and garlic, brown the grouse on the outside then throw it in your tomato sauce and simmer for a good long while on low heat and serve on top of your favourite pasta. my fav way of eating it and it falls off the bone tender and still u know your eating grouse but it is not over powering

[.330 Dakota]

Make sure he is a mature grouse ie full curl beak and all, those are the tastey ones aged on the hoof...lol

[urbanhermit]

I've found that cooking really slowly and not for too long will make them a little more tender.

sounds like you are using one of those new microwave crockpots...

[Barnes_270]

Another option is trying them as a chicken replacement for indian butter chicken - if you want to try a really easy method just get the jar of butter chicken sauce from superstore, cube the grouse breast, mix and cook in a slow cooker for a few hours - fantastic.

[SWD]

cut grouse breast off bone. Dip in egg ,dredge in a mixture of onion soup mix,flour,graulated garlic,paparicka. Pan fry in olive oil,use a cast iron frying pan.
deer chops also good ,cooked this way!

[ElectricDyck]

Make sure he is a mature grouse ie full curl beak and all, those are the tastey ones aged on the hoof...lol

Ha Ha! That's what I thought when I clicked on this thread!:mrgreen:

[wildcatter]

I've heard once aging grouse hanging by the neck, ready when it falls off:mrgreen:

[wing shooter]

If you brine the meat for a about four hours just prior to cooking it you will find it much better. Google brine recipes fore turkey and you will quickly learn how to do it. The most important thing is to not over cook the meat, it should be just done enough that there is no pink juices or clear raw center. Good luck! :-D

[Marlin375]

Moose camp Chicken Fingers w/ Fries

4-5 Ruffed grouse.....(the smart chickens with the white meat are more desireable than the stoopid dark meat birds)
Cut the breasts into strips ACROSS the grain, put strips into a large ziplock bag with some water, soya, ginger and garlic overnight.
The marinade can be pretty light/watery so the flavor will not be too strong.

Move the clock ahead to lunch time the next day.

Get out the big cast iron pot and get the oil to 350........best to be done outdoors for obvious reasons.
open a bag of this ($0.99 a bag in the states...never found it in Canada)
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab62/Marlin375/fishfry2.jpg

put it in a big ziplock bag, add a dozen grouse fingers and do the shake-n-bake to get them coated.
this breading mix is very light and seals the moisture into the fingers. They are tender and tasty.

alternate fingers and fresh cut fries untill everyone is ready to have a nap.


For birds that are going in the freezer, I sit the breasts in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt overnight and bag them or vacuum seal them the next day.
They never end up tough or chewy.

[FirePower]

2 schools of thought...... an old Brit that mentered my early dog training always said "Ang oum oop by the nick till the gots fall dun and plug the oss ole un their fit 't eat". GREAT dog trainer not much of a chef in my oppinion, My take is fresh grouse brest cubed, nice seasoned flour coating in hot oil drain and a good dip....Grouse McNuggets nothing better!!

That was Da's oppinion as well wouldn't eat them untill you could smell them 100 yds away. Then make the kids dress them ughhh its a wonder I can eat game birds and rabbit today. He was also a great dog man but no gormet for sure the English(and I am one) can breed and train a fine dog, make a fantastic shotgun or double rifle but cant cook to save their souls.

[835]

That was Da's oppinion as well wouldn't eat them untill you could smell them 100 yds away. Then make the kids dress them .


I've heard that but still cant believe people did it!!

I "Age" my birds when i get them sometimes. If i shoot too many to eat some get aged in the cooler! And seriously i have noticed a big differance if they sit cold for 2-4 days. I am a believer the age makes Grouse more tender. Now this is also almost always Franklins and Willows, I dont know how well it would work with a big blue!

At home i put them in a bowl with ceran wrap covering the bown for a few days and dump out the water in the bown periodically. I do this with some of the bad sea ducks too.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Believe it Dru, old Newell would eat birds I wouldn't even consider using for training never accepted his dinner invites during hunting season. lol

[835]

Thats funny,,

[Foxton Gundogs]

Thats funny,,

Not when you got a wiff of them.

[CanuckShooter]

If your grouse is dry, your overcooking them.....just like frying an egg, if you overcook the yolk will be hard and dry!!

We brown grouse [fast] in a little butter, then put the browned breasts [deboned] in wild mushroom soup and simmer on low heat. Serve delicately over a bed of rice. ;-) Good luck on your next batch, your getting some good recipes on this thread.

[6 K]

The ONLY way to properly age grouse is through the "tooth for the truth" program.

[Peter Pepper]

Yes, you should age deer. PROPER aging improves all meat, unless it's been cut up into small pieces and deboned on the spot Then the benefits of aging are less.
This is very interesting, I know guys who 'bone out to pack out' but never considered how they hang their meat.
Is de-boning and cutting up an aceptable option when you don't have access to a place to age it?
Is it ok to just age some in fridge and rest freeze? Any other tips?
I'm thinking big game, not birds.
As for New Hunters grouse; I suspect overcooked, lean meat. So ya add bacon, what can't bacon make better? My fav way is pan fry chunks of breast with bacon, onion and mushrooms. I can cook, just need to know more about butchering/meat handling. After all any cook with tell you that's the most important part

[Legi0n]

This is very interesting, I know guys who 'bone out to pack out' but never considered how they hang their meat.
Is de-boning and cutting up an aceptable option when you don't have access to a place to age it?
Is it ok to just age some in fridge and rest freeze? Any other tips?
I'm thinking big game, not birds.


you can age game meat in your fridge (not freezer)

[Whonnock Boy]

Is it ok to just age some in fridge and rest freeze?

I watched Guy Fieri in one of his shows take a roast and age it in the fridge for a couple weeks after he had purchased it. He wrapped it in cheese cloth and placed it on a small cooling rack in the fridge. The first few days he needed to change the wrapping daily so it was not sitting in its own blood. Once it had dried, the cloth was not changed as often. After a couple weeks, he trimmed the cut of meat, removing any greenish spots, and then sliced it into steaks. It looked pretty tender. I don't see why this cannot be done with a piece of game meat. You could even cut off a steak or two, and put the rest back in the fridge for a couple more days. Ageing a larger amount of meat would be tough to do in a household fridge.

[Black Lab]

Very interesting thread. I have often wondered why some birds are tough and others are tender. I thought that it had to do with how quick they died. I usually lightly brown the breasts in butter, onions, mushrooms, lots of pepper then add orange juice and simmer 20 min. Serve with boiled potatoes and carrots or pasta

[shottyshooter]

Googled my own answer on Rigor as it pertains to all animals...

"Why should we wait until after rigor mortis?"

Joe looks at me the way an expert does who's forgotten the fundamentals of his occupation are not common sense. "Butchering an animal during rigor mortis can cause shortening, meaning the muscles contract and remain tough. You want those muscle fibers stretched and relaxed.

http://www.americanhunter.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2235&cid=42

The rest of the article is a fairly good overview.

Question: A lot of the answers I found talk about rinsing or soaking the meat as part of the butchering/cleaning process before patting dry and hanging to age. I've also heard that water is bad because it increases the bacteria or something along those lines. What say you?

I'm guessing that a cold water bath will drop the temperatures quickly and get rid of blood so that it doesn't get rancid. Follow that by a thourough towelling off and spritz some vinegar on to keep the flys away. Then put them in clean bags to hang and age. Is there anything detrimental (from the water aspect) that I'm missing?

[The Dude]

Like Foxton alluded to, in the old days of pheasant hunting in Britain, the way to age a bird was to hang it by the neck in the shed. After a few days, it would hit the ground as the neck rotted off. Then it was ready to eat.

I sometimes leave mine intact, and rest them in a cold fridge for 3-4 days, and I mostly breast them, age them in the fridge for 2-3 days, then package and freeze.

If I am going to eat them right away, take a clean cutting board, and some heavy duty plastic wrap. Spread the boneless breasts out, cover with the wrap, and beat your meat flat :D
The plastic wrap saves any spatters all over your counter, and stops tearing of the meat. You'll have a perfect, flat breast fillet with a little practice.
Prepare as usual with your favourite recipe.

[buck nash]

I brined the grouse breasts I brought home last weekend at found they were way more tender than the ones we had in camp. Just put a couple tbs of salt and one tbs of sugar in about a pint of water, put it in a freezer bag and squeezed the air out. Let it sit overnight and it was perfect.

[shottyshooter]

beat your meat flat :D


...scaring me Dude! LOL

Is there anything detrimental if you wash the meat (all meat not just grouse)? Moisture, flavour or any other considerations?

[The Dude]

Nope, I always wash my beasts (geez, there I go again)..... I usually breast grouse in the field, so they inevitably pick up tiny bits of dust or bark, whatever.
I usually rinse in cold, clean water, trimming as i do this. Grouse has an elastic membrane around the breast that makes it a little tougher, so I try and remove much of this.
Pat dry, or drain and air dry, and flatten, cook, or Vacuum Pack to your heart's content. :D

[J-Man]

I just cooked some up last week. I let them marinate at least an hour if not over night.

- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of sea salt
- some cracked pepper
- t tsp of thyme

Throw it all together with 2 breasts halved in a zip lock bag. Work it around and let sit 30min, then flip for another 30 min. Then grill or fry it 4min each side.