Fall and Winter bring long-held family traditions of bird hunting.  My dad grew up bird hunting with his dad, and my brother and I grew up doing the same with him.  Since I was in grade school, I can remember October trips to central & eastern Washington in pursuit of game birds.  With little exaggeration, I could probably rattle off every exit on interstate 90 between western and eastern Washington.  We’ve worn that path well.  My best friend often jokes come October, “I’ll see you in January.”  Bird hunting has been my favorite past time as long as I can remember.  It may have something to do with the limited window in the Fall that it’s available.  In my mind Fall and bird hunting are inseparable.

Ring-necked pheasants are a nonnative game bird in the US.  They were originally brought here from China.  I know (on so many levels).  You could call them an invasive species.  But the same is true with brown trout.  And each are especially beautiful creatures when compared to other upland birds and other game fish.  Instead of the ideal of harvesting a beautiful native game bird with healthy populations, you could say I’m doing the ecosystem a favor by managing invasive species.  And there in lies the dilemma of an upland bird hunter – wanting healthy populations of ring-necked pheasants (or chukar, who are also nonnative) to hunt and admire, and yet being torn in the reality that healthy populations of non-native wildlife is usually poor wildlife management.

Pheasant is one of the more popular game birds on the tasty scale.  Pheasant, chukar, grouse, and quail tend to be favored game birds on the table.  Like most wild game, it’s very lean and the leg meat is full of sinew and tendons.  So you have to take care in how you prepare it.  I’ve found that braising is a great way to prepare pheasant.  Luckily cacciatore is both a tasty, popular Italian dish and uses the technique of braising.  You can adapt this recipe to other game like rabbits or even turkey, or just prepare it with chicken.  Cacciatore is a dish every home cook should have a staple recipe for – it’s a classic worth having in your rotation.  This one is my “go-to.”

Yield: SERVES 4-6

Pheasant (or Chicken) Cacciatore with Polenta

Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish where meat is braised with traditional ingredients of tomatoes, rosemary, onions, and wine. Every cook should have a cacciatore recipe in their bag of tricks - this is my "go-to."

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Ingredients

Cacciatore

• 1-2 Pheasants (or 1 whole chicken)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• 10 oz. crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, sliced
• pinch of red chile flakes
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Polenta

• 5 cups water
• salt
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBSP butter

Instructions

First, cut the whole pheasant or chicken into 2 leg pieces, 2 breast peices, and 2 wings per bird. Season meat well with salt and pepper. Using a large enamel coated Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Brown the meat on all sides, working in batches as needed. Once browned, set meat aside. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Next, add the celery and mushrooms. After these are soft, add the garlic and red chile flakes and cook until fragrant. Next, add the wine, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Add the can of tomatoes, crushing each whole tomato by hand. Add the broth and season with salt. Add the meat back to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Top with the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender and releases from the bone - about 1 1/2 hours or more, depending on the size of the bird. Discard the rosemary and bay leaf.

For the polenta, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Season with salt. Add the polenta slowly, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir for 15-20 minutes or until the polenta has thickened and the meal is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese.

Serve the cacciatore over the polenta and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Notes

Inspired by: Steven Rinella and The Meateater Fish and Game Cookbook