Fat Pheasant

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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 4:14 pm Post subject: Fat Pheasant

I've just had a big pheasant and it had a large amount of fat on him. I assume he's a cock pheasant as he was larger than other's I've had. I bought him prepared from a game dealer so assume he was shot although the dealer does a good job and I hardly never find shot in the game I buy.

I was just surprised by the about of fat on the bird under the skin and wondered is this common? All the other game I've purchased has been quite lean. I thought this one had probably just lurked near the feeders wherever he spent his time.

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 4:25 pm Post subject:
If it was very fatty with no shot, it's possible it was a farmed bird. I was talking to my Mother about this very subject this morning, as there seem to be an unusually high number of intensively farmed birds around this Christmas!

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 4:34 pm Post subject:
It had crossed my mind although it seemed to have a small wound on one side. It had liver and heart intact and I purchased it from a game dealer (not a supermarket). However, I wouldn't be at all surprised and I'm new to the game scene. I'll ask next time, but I doubt I would get an honest answer. Is there an easy way to tell?

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 4:57 pm Post subject:

Trouble with game dealers (no disrespect) is they like nice clean birds to sell.
When they buy large numbers from a shoot, a percentage will be badly shot and unfit for sale.

Although there is nothing wrong with these birds, when plucked they are often badly bruised and not so appealing to the public.

If I were to offer a number of birds to a dealer which were garanteed clean from my 'shoot' many wouldn't care if they were farmed or not (they never tell the public where they came from or how they were reared).

Always ask - then they are forced to tell the truth or lie (if indeed they know).

BTW none of the dealers around here will buy rabbits shot with a shotgun!

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 5:00 pm Post subject:
You say "not so appealing to the public"; does the bruising make any difference to the cooking/taste of the flesh of the bird? I presume it's still edible.

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 5:11 pm Post subject:
Some say it makes the flesh more bitter, but I can't say I've ever noticed.

Treacodactyl
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 5:17 pm Post subject:

Having only actively eaten game for a couple of years it was a little off putting seeing bruised meat and the odd blood clot. This is mainly on the partridge and last year I did find a fair bit of shot so at least some have been shot.

I tend to clean them up, give a rinse and pat dry and have not noticed any problems once cooked. To be honest there's probably not much difference to a farmed bird and an early shot bird round these parts as most are reared and released.

An interesting point about the a game dealer last yar, was that they were selling birds out of season last year. As I realised this I asked and was told they had been frozen. There were no signs up stating this and people could easily buy birds and re-freeze without realising.

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 5:20 pm Post subject:
Good point! Hope there are some game dealers looking in!

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 5:55 pm Post subject:

Deerstalker wrote:

Good point! Hope there are some game dealers looking in!

That's why I didn't mention their name.

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 04 8:40 pm Post subject:
We had a bruised Turkey this year, and last, which I get from my friend. Seeing that there is always more than enough to go around a little bruising doesn't really matter, and she has more trouble selling them to customers. The meat has a slightly different taste, but nothing that bad.

McLay455

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 89
Location: West of Scotland

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 05 6:38 am Post subject:

I always soak my pheasants in brine after plucking.Make sure the bird has no air trapped in its body cavity.That way the brine gets to all of the meat.I use cold water and just stir in salt until there is some left undissolved in the bottom of the plastic tub.
Soak the brds for half an hour, and take them out and pat them dry.
They are then ready for cooking / freezing.
I believe this improves bruised birds and reduces the bacterial risk.
All my birds come from shoots and a lot of the cock birds have a lot of fat on them -- they can probably bully their way into more grub at the feeders.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 05 9:38 am Post subject:
Thanks for the comments, I'm the only one I know who eats game so I don't get to learn from others round here. I've eaten a couple of partridges since and I've found a single pellet so they may have all been shot and just very well prepared! I'll ask next time I visit the stall.

McLay455

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 89
Location: West of Scotland

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 05 9:57 am Post subject:
The best shots often wingshoot the birds, so you don't get pellets in the body. Really experts shots can keep their eyes open and see the pattern of shot in the air. They aim 'Off' so that just the edge of the pattern hits the wing (it is a knack that only the very best shots seem to have).

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 05 10:14 am Post subject:
I'll have to try that with my rifle bullets!

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 05 10:41 am Post subject:
You can see the shot if you stand behind a shooter firing at clays. That's how you can tell if they are aiming in front or behind. However, I cannot even see that so wing shots may be some way off for me. DS, can you not get tracer rounds?

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