The air is cooler, the colors are changing, and the daylight hours are growing shorter. Fall is definitely here.
Aside from the marvelous scenery, fall also marks the onset of several hunting seasons in the area: deer, turkey, and pheasant to name a few.
Once the hunt is successful and the meat stocks the shelves of your freezer, what are the best ways to prepare it? A field-to-table process can be just as rewarding in flavor as it was in hunting success.
Here are some recipes we’ve rounded up from around the country.
Travel South Dakota put together a drool-worthy page of recipes for pheasant on their site you can view by clicking here.
Another simple but satisfying way to serve pheasant is to fry it up the old-fashioned way. Amounts are subject to taste and how much meat you have available, but here are some guidelines to get you started.
Fried Pheasant
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Pheasant breasts, thighs, legs, etc (or cut into large pieces for more of a “nugget” type meal)
Oil, for frying
In a large skillet, pour enough oil to cover the bottom for frying. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and cornmeal together on a plate. Dredge the pheasant pieces in the eggs, then dredge in the flour mixture. Carefully place dredged pheasant pieces into skillet, turning and cooking until browned on all sides. Remove pheasant pieces from skillet and place on a paper towel covered plate to drain.
(You could also forego the egg and dredge first in melted butter, then the flour mixture.)
Looking for wild turkey recipes instead? We found some delicious-looking ones here.
If you’re looking for a way to prepare venison in such a way to have people asking for more, you know you can’t go wrong with recipes from Taste of Home. This page is loaded with tried-and-true venison recipes from people across the country.
No matter what your hunting season has in store, we hope your field-to-table experience is a memorable one.
For more information about the Pierre area, be sure to visit www.visitpierresd.com or contact the Pierre Area Chamber.