Whole smoked Pheasant???

[elk2782]

I have about 40 phesants from this fall hunting and wanted to smoke about 15 of them whole, Im new to smoking so was trying to get a good brine recipe for them and temp/time to smoke them.

[NePaSmoKer]

I have about 40 phesants from this fall hunting and wanted to smoke about 15 of them whole, Im new to smoking so was trying to get a good brine recipe for them and temp/time to smoke them.

This is a hot-smoking method that is essentially a really slow, smoky barbecue. Instead of barbecue sauce, which you could of course us if you wanted to, I use maple syrup instead. This creates a nice sweet glaze for the smoke to adhere to as the bird cooks.

Leave the skin on the pheasant.

It will not work with skinned birds, as they will get too dry. If you are not a hunter but want to make this, you can use a high-quality domestic chicken (regular supermarket ones are too soft and flabby) or you can buy a whole pheasant online or in some supermarkets; Whole Foods sells them frozen.



Cook Time: 5 hours

2 whole pheasants
1/4 cup kosher salt, about 2 1/4 ounces
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 cups water
2 cups maple syrup, boiled down to 1 cup

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Find a lidded container just about large enough to hold both pheasants. Cover them with the brine and let this sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.

Take the pheasants out and pat them dry. Set on a cooling rack under a ceiling fan or in a breezy place and let them dry for 1 to 3 hours. You can also put the birds in a container uncovered in the fridge overnight. This drying process is an important step. If you skip it, the smoke will not adhere to the pheasant as well.

Smoke the pheasants over the wood of your choice – I prefer apple, hickory or pecan – for at least 3 hours, and up to 5 hours. You want a relatively warm smoke, between 200°F and 250°F. Let the pheasants smoke for 1 hour before painting on the maple syrup, then baste with the syrup every 30 minutes afterward.

When the pheasants reach an internal temperature of 160°F in the thigh meat, take them out of the smoker. Put them on a cooling rack and baste them with maple syrup one more time. Wait at least 20 minutes before eating. They are excellent cold, too.

[devo]

On this page you will find many brine recipes that we use. I'm sure you will find one you like.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?13-BRINING-and-CURING

And on this page you will find a Smoked Whole Quail recipe that could be used for your Pheasant.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?570-Smoked-Whole-Quail

[elk2782]

Thanks for the replies guys, I will post up how it turns out

[michelle linnane]

Here is another brine receipt I am using myself today

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 orange, sliced I used 2 oranges
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 1/2 gallons water
3/4 cup brown sugar
maple syrup Just poured some in do not know how much. 

Brought to a boil and let it get room temp. 

I also had a Canadian goose breast frozen in freezer Thur in for good measure.  If I turn smoker on I want it to full.   

I would of posted a picture but everytime I hit inset picture it did not work.

[elk2782]

So my problem is that all these birds have been skun and no longer have the skin on, Can I still use the same brine recipes.. But how do I smoke them without them getting to dry...bacon wrapped or should I put them in like a dish in the smoker??

[michelle linnane]

   All my birds had no skin so I was in the same boat. It was cold when I smoked my pheasants and I smoked for about
2 hours and had temp at 200 degrees(inside the smoker never got that hot. When the I was done with smoking and brought them in the house and finished in the oven. Mine were not dry. But I did 5 pheasants 1 goose breast 3 chukars. As soon as they cam out of the oven I vaccum sealed them I did taste of them and I did not think they were dry.     

[elk2782]

Im planning on doing about 12 pheasants the first time, I might try 2 different brines for them like 6 and 6, If I were to do them completely in the smoker would you reccomend like 2 hours of smoke and then a 2 hours or so of cooking at a higher temp?

[NePaSmoKer]

Elk

Here is some basic salt measurments.

Salt Equivalent Measures

Table salt and kosher salt do not have the same saltiness in a flavor brine when measured by volume—but they do when measured by weight.

Table salt weighs about 10 ounces per cup, while kosher salt weighs 5-8 ounces per cup, depending on the brand. If using kosher salt in a brine, you must use more than a cup to achieve the same salt flavor you would get from a cup of table salt.

The chart below shows equivalent amounts of table salt and the two most popular brands of kosher salt.

Table Salt    1 cup
Morton Kosher Salt    1-1/2 cups
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt    2 cups

Morton Kosher Salt weighs about 7.7 ounces per cup, making it three-fourths as strong as table salt. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt weighs about 5 ounces per cup, making it half as strong as table salt.

What if you're using something other than Morton Kosher or Diamond Crystal Kosher salt? Regardless of the type of salt—sea salt, pickling salt, and any other brand of kosher salt—just measure 10 ounces of it on a kitchen scale and you will have the equivalent of 1 cup of table salt.

All-Purpose Brine
1 quart cool water
1/2 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1/2 cup sugar
Mix in a non-reactive container until dissolved. Substitute 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Morton Kosher Salt or 1/4 cup table salt for Diamond Crystal.

Make 1 quart of brine for each pound of meat, not to exceed 8 quarts (2 gallons). Soak meat for 1 hour per pound, but not less than 30 minutes or longer than 8 hours. If brining multiple pieces, base the brining time on the weight of an individual piece.


High-Temp Brine
1 quart cool water
1/4 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
Mix in a non-reactive container until dissolved. Substitute 3 Tablespoons Morton Kosher Salt or 2 Tablespoons table salt for Diamond Crystal.

Make 1 quart of brine for each pound of meat, not to exceed 8 quarts (2 gallons). Soak meat for 1 hour per pound, but not less than 30 minutes or longer than 8 hours. If brining multiple pieces, base the brining time on the weight of an individual piece.


Basic Fowl Brine (12-14 Hour Brining Time)
2 gallons cool water
2 cups Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Mix in a non-reactive container until dissolved. Substitute 1-1/2 cups Morton Kosher Salt or 1 cup table salt for Diamond Crystal.

Optional: 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown) can be added for each gallon of water.

Brine for 12-14 hours. Rinse fowl and pat dry with paper towels before cooking.


High-Strength  Brine (4-6 Hour Brining Time)
2 gallon cool water
4 cups Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Mix in a non-reactive container until dissolved. Substitute 3 cups Morton Kosher Salt or 2 cups table salt for Diamond Crystal.

Brine for 4-6 hours. Rinse fowl and pat dry with paper towels before cooking.


On the above listed brines you should weigh each bird and decide how many you can fit in the brines.

[elk2782]

Thanks for the replies again guys, I will be brineing the pheasants tonight and smoking them tomorrow some time. Hope they all turn out.

[OldHoss]

............... I use maple syrup instead. This creates a nice sweet glaze for the smoke to adhere to as the bird cooks.

Oh my goodnes gracious!!!!  What a flippin' wonderful idea NePaSmoKer.  I am a huge fan of both maple syrup and fowl so I will be trying your method sooner than later.  I will also follow your plan for brining.  I have some very high quality dark amber maple syrup in the fridge right now.  I know the fella that makes the stuff so it is easy and............free.  It is good to be alive and eating well it is.  Thanks again for that little jewel of a tip!!!  I will be trying it out on a chicken or 2.

[watchdog56]

Wonder how these came out?

[elk2782]

The pheasants turned out awesome I ended up using the Apple Cider brine and brushed them with a mix of Maple syrup and Mollasses they were to die for, I smoked them for about 4 hours or till the temp was reached, I used a mix of 2 parts cherry to 1 part Alder for wood smoking the whole time

[murrhunts]

Where's the pictures?

Here is a brine I use for my pheasants, which I will be putting in, in about an hour.

1 gallon of water
2 cups Kosher salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1 Tsp black pepper
1 Tsp garlice powder

I heat smoker up to 200
Smoke for 3 hrs with a mix of apple and hickory
Cook to IT is 175

Just messed around one day with it and they came out good, even my wife eats them.  And she will not eat them baked.