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Let’s take this opportunity to banish these misconceptions and learn to become a better cook. It’s not a pheasant or turkey’s job to conform to what you think is “good” or “easy to cook.” Rather, it’s the hunter’s job to learn how to cook game in the ways that honor the life of the animal. For example, you can’t wrap a pheasant leg in bacon, mindlessly throw it on the grill, and then complain that it was tougher than the undersides of your ten-year-old bird dog’s paws. 

Just as you wouldn’t cook beef brisket the same way you would filet mignon, game bird legs often require low heat, moisture and slow cooking. Of course, there are exceptions. I generally find the legs of quail, grouse and some ducks delicious to tolerable when quickly seared over a hot fire (and perhaps, after having been aged and/or marinated), but more often than not, the legs of most game birds will benefit from braising. This slow-and-low cooking allows time for tough muscles and connective tissues to break down. Stew, soup, and pulled sandwich and taco meat are especially fitting for these tougher parts. 

The work that goes into hunting often takes effort, mindfulness, patience and time, and this ethos should also carry over into the kitchen. No, those legs aren’t “too tough.” Learn how to cook, and they are definitely worth eating. Here are a few tips and recipes to try. 

A Few Tips for Cooking Game Bird Legs

1. If you find yourself with only a couple pheasant legs after a hunt, save them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer and keep adding to it through the season. Freezer burn isn’t as big of a deal with meat you plan on slow cooking, but definitely cook this meat sooner rather than later at the end of the season. 
2. Be patient. If the legs are still tough after the directed time, cook it longer. There’s no meat in the world “too tough” to defy the magic of moisture and time. 
3. Larger game bird legs, like those on goose and wild turkey, can be braised, but they are also good candidates for grinding. You could cook ground goose and wild turkey meat the same way you would any ground meat. 

Best Recipes for Game Bird Legs

Game Bird Noodle Soup Recipe

This recipe was originally written for wild turkey legs, but the soup will work with any light-meat game bird, such as pheasant, grouse, chukar, and quail legs. This recipe features classic flavors you’d recognize in chicken and noodle soup with the exception of fennel, which adds sweet, delicate aromas.

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Goose Kofta Kebabs Pita Sandwich Recipe

With conservation seasons that allow for high bag limits, we should all be thinking of different ways that we can enjoy snow geese. So, if you did not enjoy the taste of this waterfowl in the past, try grinding it and loading it up with herbs and spices that will enhance the flavor of this dark, earthy meat. Then to mellow out the strong flavor and to add a bit fat, add some pork to the ground goose mixture. Form the meat onto skewers, grill and stuff them in a pita pocket with tahini sauce and fresh vegetables. This recipe works with any goose species.

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Pheasant Coq au Vin Recipe

Traditionally, coq au vin is a long braising process of an old, tough rooster. As such, this French dish is a natural dish for pheasant and is delicious in the fall and winter, especially when served with crusty bread to mop up the dark, rich juices of this hearty stew. Although pheasant breasts aren’t tough, their legs can certainly be, benefitting from the longer braising time that this recipe was originally intended for. I like dishes like these because they utilize the whole bird.

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Snow Goose Confit Recipe

Confit is an old French method of preserving meat through salting and slow-cooking in fat. When chilled, the fat creates a barrier against oxygen, thus slowing spoilage. You don’t have to limit yourself to goose legs. You can confit the legs of any game bird.

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Pheasant Cock-a-Leekie Soup Recipe

Cock-a-leekie is a classic Scottish dish, which I learned about while honeymooning in Scotland several years ago. To substitute chicken, I prefer preparing this soup with light-meat game birds, such as pheasant or quail. The combination of tender rice, aromatic leeks and warming savory broth is satisfying on a cold day.

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Wild Turkey Birria Tacos Recipe

Whether you’re looking for a recipe for winter stew or for summer tacos, this Wild Turkey Birria Recipe will do just the trick! (Pictured top)This recipe is fantastic for tough wild game, be it feathered or hoofed animal. Not only does it work with wild turkey, it’s also ideal for tough waterfowl legs, especially goose. Remember that cooking times will vary depending on what game you use, so adjust as needed. 

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