Grill Season Will Soon Be Gone With The Wind
Author: Eileen Clarke, Rifles and Recipes
Grill Season Will Soon be Gone with the Wind
Eileen Clarke
Rifles and Recipes
Teriyaki is a very effective tenderizing marinade when you want to quick-cook meats. And the wasabi—Japanese horseradish--is a bonus. Wasabi is sold in both powder and paste forms. The paste is ready to use; the powder must be mixed with water and is traditionally rolled into a ball for serving. Depending on ambient humidity, you may need to adjust the water-to-powder ratio. But if you can roll it into a ball easily, the wasabi is ready to eat. (Wash hands carefully after handling it. You’ll regret getting any in your eyes.)
This recipe also works well with Ruffed, Franklin and Blue grouse. And the sherry? Townsend Drug has some on hand, and Cooks Illustrated has pointed out that, for cooking, cost doesn’t make any difference with sherry.
FYI: Since the raw pheasant has spent the night with the marinade, cooking the marinade is a necessary step here to keep everyone healthy and happy.
Teriyaki Kabobs with Wasabi Dip
Serves 4
Ingredients
for the marinade
1/4 cup oil
3/8 cup lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon medium dry sherry
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
for cooking
breast of one pheasant, cut in 3/4 inch strips
4 wooden skewers
1 tablespoon corn starch
4 teaspoons wasabi powder
3 teaspoons cold water
Preparation
1. The night before: In a resealable bag, combine the oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, sherry, and ginger. Rinse and dry the pheasant breast strips and add to the marinade bag. Shake to coat the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Thirty minutes before cooking: Cover the wooden skewers with cold water, and let soak about 30 minutes. This will keep them from burning on the grill.
Cooking
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 450-500F). Drain the marinade off into a small saucepan. (You should have about 3/4 cup of marinade.) Add the corn starch to the marinade and stir well. Once the corn starch has dissolved, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the marinade comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Thread the pheasant strips onto the skewers adding powder or water as needed to roll easily.
3. Place the skewers on the grill, cooking about 3 minutes a side. Remove and serve with a small amount of wasabi. My favorite side dish with these skewers is grilled acorn squash: slice the squash about 1/4-inch thin, microwave until semi-soft (about 1 1/2 minutes on high/700 watts). Then, put them on the grill with the skewers, until they get nicely browned, brushing them with the cooked marinade as well.
From Eileen’s Upland Game Bird Cookery, hardcover, 180 pages, 97 recipes for everything from quail to turkey, from Maple-Smoked Sharptails and Rooster Wraps to Quick-Draw Doves and Creamy Ginger Ruffed Grouse. On sale, $12 at https://www.riflesandrecipes.com/406-521-0273 for MT43News subscribers.
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PhotoCredit: Eileen Clarke
Image 1 Caption: Teriyaki Kabobs with Wasabi Dip
Photo Credits: Eileen Clarke
