Wild birds have leaner meat than domestic ones.
Wild game birds, be it turkey, goose, quail, duck or pheasant, have a distinctive flavor and texture, setting them apart from their domestic counterparts. The process of preparing a wild bird for cooking is known as dressing. According to Teresa Marrone, author of "Dressing & Cooking Wild Game," dressing a wild bird removes the unnecessary parts of the animal, leaving only the main body for cooking. While dressing a wild bird might seem an intimidating task, with a bit of practice it takes only minutes to complete. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Put on a pair of rubber gloves before handling the bird. Wild birds can carry disease, so do not allow any of the animal's blood to come in contact with your skin or eyes.
2. Lay the wild bird down onto your work surface. Place its head and neck across the cutting board.
3. Chop off the bird's head close to its body with a cleaver.
4. Pick the bird up by its feet and hold it over the five-gallon bucket to allow all of the blood to drain. Discard the head and neck.
5. Place the bird back onto the cutting board. Cleave off its feet and wings, and discard them.
6. Make a straight incision with your boning knife from the anal vent up to the neck of the bird, cutting cleanly through the skin.
7. Peel the skin away from the bird's body. Work your fingers underneath the skin and peel it away from the body as though you are removing a jacket. Discard the skin.
8. Make an incision through the breastplate with the boning knife, and remove the bird's innards. Make sure you have cleaned out the body cavity and wash with cool water. If any of the entrails remain within the cavity, they will ruin the meat.
9. Fill the body cavity of the bird with ice to keep it chilled until you are ready to cook it.
10. Remove your gloves and wash your hands, work surface and bucket thoroughly with antibacterial soap and hot water.
Tags: wild bird, away from, body cavity, boning knife, cutting board