10:22 am - 51 degrees - foggy, windy, and raining...
Hunting for wild game to put
food on the table used to be a part of everyday life – for some it still
is. Hunting may not be for everyone, but
it’s a part of our lives. Hunting is
simply harvesting wild food, and we only harvest what our family will eat
{click here}.
Tony hunts for deer and elk
every year – one deer and one elk will put enough meat in the freezer to feed
our family for a whole year and be able to share some with family and
friends. In fact, as I sit here typing
this blog post, Tony and Jack are out deer hunting.
In addition to hunting large
game, Tony also hunts upland birds, just not as often. As our kids get older they want to go hunting
with him more often, so this year he took them grouse hunting.
Grouse are small upland birds
that range over most of the United States and southern Canada. They are not usually very big, somewhere between
a quail and a pheasant – undressed a grouse will normally range anywhere from a
pound to around three pounds, give or take.
So for a family of four, a minimum of four is usually recommended.
Many feel that when it comes to
upland birds – grouse is the best as far as flavor goes. Grouse tastes similar to pheasant, it’s not
gamey, and does have some similar “chicken flavor” but it is not nearly as
bland as chicken and has a different texture.
Here is a simple and delicious way
to prepare grouse...
~Grouse Nuggets~
4 grouse, cleaned and cut into ¾”
cubes
Milk
Flour
Salt & Pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Italian bread crumbs
Olive oil
After you have your grouse
cleaned and cubed, get out 4 small bowls to make an assembly line. In the first bowl pour some milk. In the second bowl pour some flour and season
with salt and pepper. In the third bowl
beat two eggs. In the fourth bowl pour
some bread crumbs.
Dip grouse cubes into milk,
then flour mixture, then egg wash, and then bread crumbs. Do this to all the grouse cubes.
Warm a non-stick skillet with ¼”
deep of olive oil on medium-high heat.
Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning often so they won’t
burn.
Serve with honey, Ranch, BBQ or
whatever sauce you like.
- Enjoy!
