Aging game birds is latest set of tips in “Braising the Wild”

AGING YOUR GAME BIRDS I first experimented with aging game birds several years ago in Minnesota. As a former line cook who was taught anything stored between 40 and 160 was in the danger zone in terms of bacteria growth, I was initially strongly opposed to the idea of hanging birds in temperatures ranging from mid-20s to low 50s. But I did my research and found not only was aging game birds safe, it was thee purest way to flavor your game birds. THE BASIC PREMISE Hanging your quarry ages the meat and denatures proteins. It is a common practice to hang a dressed deer for a few days minimum in order to allow the meat to rest, and thus tenderize. Game birds are no different. The release of enzymes breaks down collagen (tough connective tissue) but also heightens flavor. According to several opinions, the older the quarry, the longer it should hang. Meat of older bucks and roosters is tougher, as these animals have spent several years enduring the elements, treading miles and miles of dirt and mud and gravel in order to give hunters the slip, time and time again. Such tenacity produces tight muscle fibers, and, in the culinary sense, chewier bites. METHOD Thread kitchen twine through pheasant nostrils and tie that twine to a nail or hang from a hook. I hung my pheasants for 10 days and skinned, as the skin was too gummy to pluck, then brined overnight in gallon of cold water with a half cup non-iodized salt, a handful of peppercorns and a couple bay leaves. During the 10 days, outside the temperature of my garage probably varied between 20 and 50 degrees. When I pulled the breasts from the brine the next day and rinsed. The breast meat was incredibly soft and malleable. I seared one breast in hot sunflower oil and finished it off in the oven at 400 degrees, until internal temperatures reached 160. The result: The best-tasting bird I have flavored in a long, long time. Maybe ever. The meat was incredibly tender and moist. But it also, with every bite, included the essence of the bird. GENERAL TIPS If a bird is shot up bad, don’t bother trying to age. Skin and butcher that bird. Bacteria will grow too easily on that bird and you will have wasted it. For wild turkeys and any waterfowl larger than a mallard, I suggest gutting the bird before aging as innards will keep bird too warm. To age waterfowl, because of their thick feathers, you may wish to hang in a regulated fridge at 40 degrees. DO NOT hang your game in temperatures above 55 degrees. Most wild game chefs would agree 50/55 is the sweet spot for at least a few days, longer for older, tougher birds, but likely not longer than 10 days, is my personal opinion. If ever in doubt, if the meat smells funny or appears greenish in color, I suggest throwing it out. It’s not worth the risk. There could have been an entry wound you missed that led to bacteria growth.