Need help on cooking Grouse

[Fur]

Originally Posted by Alberta bull hunter

I tried cooking them for the first time this year with the cream of mushroom soup idea.

Not trying to hijack the thread but although the taste wasn't bad they were very tough, I cooked three and one of them was so tough you almost couldnt cut it with a knife, the other two were manageable. Do you guys think I over cooked them or something to cause this or are grouse normally like that? They were ruffies by the way.

Brine them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cannot stress this enough!

I know this might be blasphemy but I did not like the taste of grouse so I stopped hunting them. Had a chef move in next door to me and wild game was his speciality so he asked me to get him some. I did and he cooked them for me and it was amazing. The secret was brine.

[spellswrong]

this is by far my favorite way of making grouse. First i start with a whole bird legs attached.

1 can hard apple cider 2 oranges peel and juice some juniper berries tsp brown sugar bunch of bay leaves thyme and parsley tbs salt and alittle apple cider vinegar. brine the birds over night (will do about 3-4 birds) then rub inside and out with rosemary paprika and some olive oil put it in a roasting pan with bacon overtop and some orange slices shoved in the bird then roast at 400 for about 20 mins.

I will also brine the hearts livers and the gizzards. then ill fry the hearts and the livers with slt and pepper. The gizzards have to be boiled first then fried

[hartsky]

a few ways i cook grouse are, i cut just take the breast meat and slice them in bite size pieces , then i put them in a bowl of egg and milk mixed together, then i put them in a ziploc bag with shake and bake seasoning, shake the bag so the pieces are fully covered then bake them in the oven or deep fry them!

another way is to season them the way you like then wrap them in bacon, stick a toothpick through the bacon and breast and then bbq them with some bbq sauce,

if you cut the breasts up and just pan fry them with butter then add in fajita mix to them, boy do they make good wraps, i mostly only shoot ruffies and i find cooking them this way it tastes just like chicken

i only breast mine like i said before, but i will cut the breast out and i usually put 4 breast in a zip loc and then i fill the zip loc with water and put them in the freezer, filling the bag with water prevents the meat from being freezer burn, then when i want to eat some i take one bag out and thats enough for a meal!

cheers,

hartky

[JustBen]

I do them country fried steak style.

Pound flat. Bread with spices and panko. Cook in bacon grease. Remove from grease and make a white gravy with bacon and mushrooms.

Even spruce grouse are tasty this way.

[crosseye]

Years ago I shot what I thought could be a record sized ruffed grouse, it was huge. I wanted to take it to the fish and game club to get it weighed, but my friends mom wanted to cook it, she (and my friends won).

She simply tossed it in flour, then fried it in butter with some salt and pepper and that was the best grouse I ever had. A great meal for 3 teen age boys and my friends mom.

[Alberta bull hunter]

Originally Posted by Fur

Brine them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cannot stress this enough!

I know this might be blasphemy but I did not like the taste of grouse so I stopped hunting them. Had a chef move in next door to me and wild game was his speciality so he asked me to get him some. I did and he cooked them for me and it was amazing. The secret was brine.

Actually i did brine them overnight too i forgot to mention, I had read it online before hand. I guess I'll have to try it again and see if its better next time.

[nast70]

For my last Elk trip, I got one for a supper. All I did was strip them like chicken fingers, shake and bake mix, fry them, then add a can of mushroom soup and simmer for 20 mins.
Yummy! Can't beat fresh Grouse!!

[F Mandolin]

I'm amazed at the amount of riffie meat wasted by just breasting. Thought is was illegal to wast game meat?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by F Mandolin

I'm amazed at the amount of riffie meat wasted by just breasting. Thought is was illegal to wast game meat?

That all depends on what you term"edible meat" would include heart , liver , lungs and almost anything else.
So keep your ideas about wasting meat to yourself.
Cat

[Fur]

Originally Posted by Alberta bull hunter

Actually i did brine them overnight too i forgot to mention, I had read it online before hand. I guess I'll have to try it again and see if its better next time.

4 cups water
1/5 cup kosher salt, brine 12+ hrs.

[Bigwoodsman]

In the past I've boiled them with salt, bay leaves an onion, and peppercorns. Simmer for an hour to hour and a half. Remove the meat and take it off the bones. I have thrown in legs too, mixed up the ruffed, spruce sharp-tail, it doesn't matter.

Add chopped carrots, celery, potato if you want to the brine, an oxo cube for chicken soup, egg noodles return the meat to the pot and stew till the vegetables are to your liking and the noodles are cooked. Best damn chicken soup you could have. Made this in the November deer camps we used to enjoy. Best soup going on a cold day.

BW

[Rockyman41]

I like to have grouse for breakfast when we're out hunting.

I fry up cubed pieces of the breast with bacon and add potatoes, onions, peppers and steak spice. Mix that with scrambled eggs and top with cheese and you've got one hell of a pan scrambler.

[trackrig]

You guys have given me some good ideas for cooking grouse. I'll try a few of them on standard chicken breasts this weekend as that's as close as I can get at the moment. Though it won't be here tomorrow, I've ordered a bottle of Hy's and Johnny's seasoning salts from Amazon.

I'll still take more ideas.

Bill

[Knotter]

Brine or cure with salt. Soak afterwards so it's not too salty. Cook in a fat bath on low heat for 4-5 hours. Every morsel is delicious. Freezes well and goes great on anything. Try it on a crostini with Brie and toasted pine nuts or on a homemade thin crust pan pizza.

[Coulee]

Ruffed Grouse Sandwich:

Slice meat off of each side of the breast.

Coat with oil. Then apply favorite rub.

BBQ for 10 minutes, apply BBQ sauce at end of cooking.

Take favorite, big soft bun, apply butter, lettuce and mayo.

Place BBQ grouse in bun.

Nuff said.

[IR_mike]

Originally Posted by crosseye

Years ago I shot what I thought could be a record sized ruffed grouse, it was huge. I wanted to take it to the fish and game club to get it weighed, but my friends mom wanted to cook it, she (and my friends won).

She simply tossed it in flour, then fried it in butter with some salt and pepper and that was the best grouse I ever had. A great meal for 3 teen age boys and my friends mom.

If you fed 4 people off a rough grouse.....I think you may have it confused with a blue grouse.

[Red Bullets]

In a pinch, with no spices available, a bush recipe... Where there are grouse there usually is high bush cranberries.
Lightly brown your grouse parts and then add cranberries and enough water to cover. Crush the berries to release their juices. Cook your grouse til tender.

High bush cranberries are better once they have frozen a few times and they stay on the bush all winter. Grouse love them too.

[covey ridge]

With sharpies I filet breasts, rinse, then dry, then sprinkle with kosher salt then let them sit in a cool place for up to 4 hours. This may be called dry brine. Before cooking I wipe them dry, I season with whatever strikes my fancy at the time, usually a dry rub or just salt and pepper.
I keep the meat thick and then cook it the way I would cook a medium rare steak. Most of the time over wood coals but good in fry pan with butter or bacon grease. If I want the dry rub to stick for bbq I rub on a very thin coat of cheap mustard or evoo.

[ditch donkey]

My way. Taught by my dad.

Batter legs and sliced breasts in instant pancake flour. Fry in oil and margarine. Add seasoning salt. Wipe out pan between batches.

The best!

[trackrig]

So I get it correct, is that fry in oil AND margarine or fry in oil OR margarine?

Thanks,
Bill

[ditch donkey]

Oil AND margarine. How ever much you feel you need to fry. 50/50. It's not a science. I think the pan needs to be wiped because of the sugar in the pancake mix.

[gbart]

Grouse Diane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rWZNHkrsNg

Few tips:
Easy to prep all the ingredients at home. I pack them in small round Tupperwares. easy to pack everything in a small cooler or a plastic bag. Try to keep the ingredients from freezing if you can.
put the mustard, Worcestershire, butter and a little cream in one container...works good.
Buy a small tub of presliced mushrooms. Browns work good. Fresh picked are the bomb!
buy 3 or 4 50ml cognacs at the liquor store.
I pounded out the breasts last time between 2 paper plates and used a rock or you can use your frying pan.
Do not overcook the meat. cast iron frying pan works good.
Be sure to add any drippings or juice from the rested meat.
Serve with a super market french bread/baguette.

Also great for deer, elk moose back strap or tenderloin.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Fur

4 cups water
1/5 cup kosher salt
Mix and brine the breasts overnight and grill just like chicken breast.
Wont be able to eat grouse the first day, but all days after that!

Brining is the most underrated cooking trick in the book. Always have tender moist meat!

Good call!

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by ditch donkey

Oil AND margarine. How ever much you feel you need to fry. 50/50. It's not a science. I think the pan needs to be wiped because of the sugar in the pancake mix.

I mix oils all the time. Two I really like are bacon fat and coconut oil or butter and coconut oil.

[^v^Tinda wolf^v^]

I use one part kraft chicken and rib sauce with one part franks red hot wing sauce. Wrap in foil and cook on the BBQ or open fire for 40 minutes. Dump it on rice and add more blended sauce to your desire. My favourite grouse recipe