The earth gives up its bounty on a schedule all its own. Call it seasonal, if that imposes a comforting sense of order. In New England, late autumn is the season for pheasant hunting. Recently, a continental hunt was conducted at the Preserve at Boulder Hills in Richmond, Rhode Island. The immediate results? Let's say 'bountiful' tells the story neatly. And then came the time to prepare the taken game for tables of outdoor enthusiasts. Enter Tommy DelMastro Jr., Executive Chef at The Preserve, to create a memorable pheasant based recipe.
[cooked-sharing]
Click # of servings above to change.
Rub the marinade all over the pheasant pieces. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. Preheat the grill to medium/high. Lift the pheasant pieces from the marinade and transfer to the grill. Grill pheasant for 4-5 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the pheasant aside, on a platter, to cool and pour the cooking juices from the platter into a bowl or cup.
When the pheasant is cool to the touch, shred the meat into bite sized pieces, and mix with the reserved cooking juices. Toast one tortilla at a time in a nonstick pan over medium heat for about 1 minute on each side. Wrap in a towel to keep warm while you toast the remaining tortillas.
For each taco, divide the warm pheasant and place on top. Top with mixed greens, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro.
Combine 1/3 cup of the orange juice, the achiote paste, jalapenos, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a blender or food processor. Puree until the peppercorns are completely crushed. Add the cilantro and the remaining 1/3 cup orange juice and puree until smooth.
In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir and toss well.
12 servings
1 Tortilla
Ingredients
Directions
Rub the marinade all over the pheasant pieces. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. Preheat the grill to medium/high. Lift the pheasant pieces from the marinade and transfer to the grill. Grill pheasant for 4-5 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the pheasant aside, on a platter, to cool and pour the cooking juices from the platter into a bowl or cup.
When the pheasant is cool to the touch, shred the meat into bite sized pieces, and mix with the reserved cooking juices. Toast one tortilla at a time in a nonstick pan over medium heat for about 1 minute on each side. Wrap in a towel to keep warm while you toast the remaining tortillas.
For each taco, divide the warm pheasant and place on top. Top with mixed greens, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro.
Combine 1/3 cup of the orange juice, the achiote paste, jalapenos, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a blender or food processor. Puree until the peppercorns are completely crushed. Add the cilantro and the remaining 1/3 cup orange juice and puree until smooth.
In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir and toss well.