Post by snoodslapper on Sept 5, 2009 21:31:18 GMT -5
Since it is that time of year, I've been cooking up these tasty little birds this week. I don't have the prowess to archery hunt them. They humble me plenty with a shotgun... 
A lot of people grill dove, but I wanted to share the way I do it. I've tried a lot of different ways, but I've found this to be the best I've found so far because the breast itself actually tastes a lot like a little piece of steak. Try it and see for yourself. There is nothing secret here, other than I've borrowed techniques from others to prepare/cook them and combined them into what I think works best.
Over the years, I've encountered many people I dove hunt with who will just give me their dove because they don't like the taste. The most common complaint being that they are too "gamey". When I ask them how they've eaten it, they usually say fried with bacon. Dove is a very lean, protein rich meat, so it can be gamey and it can dry out easily.
Now, this cooking method still goes in the direction that most of you are probably familiar with. Grilling the breast wrapped in bacon. BUT, for me, the most important part of the process is in the dressing and preparation before cooking. This is what I do. It is a lot of work, but I think you'll find it very worthwhile. Maybe some of you already do the same.
-After removing the breasts from the dove, I clean under cold water, getting all the feathers (and any shot) removed.
-Next, I remove the breast meat from the breastbones and discard them (the breastbones). You will have two little breast fillets from each dove when finished. They don't look like much, and this might seem unnecessary work, but I find that these bones infuse the meat when cooking and are a big cause of the wild taste. If you desire that taste, leave them attached.
-Again, rinse the fillets under cold water.
-Put the breasts in a small container or ziploc bag and cover with milk. Let them soak in the milk, sealed, overnight in the fridge. I've tried soaking in a salt water brine overnight as well like a some other wild meats, but I find dove in particular responds better to milk.
-The next morning, remove the fillets and, again, rinse with cold water. Rinse out the container (or ziploc bag) and put the dove back in the container with a Terryaki sauce of your choice. I just use the cheapest store brand there is. Place it back in the fridge, sealed, and let it marinate until you are ready to prepare for lunch or dinner.
-When ready for grilling, heat your grill to 350-400 degrees. I prefer hard wood grilling with either hickory, cherry, apple or mesquite. It is surprising how much this really adds to the flavor. If you use gas or charcoal, damp chips on the flame will give you approximately the same flavoring.
-Mix some extremely finely diced shallots, chive or green onion into your dove and marinade; which ever you prefer.
-While you are waiting for your coals, wrap each breast in enough bacon to go around it 1.5 times and toothpick in place. If you like to grill as much as I do, I strongly suggest you invest in a cheap Stainless Steel Broiler Basket. These are the thin grill baskets you see that you open up, put vegetables, shrimp or anything else that will slip through grill grates, then clamp them inside so you can just flip the basket as you cook. These little dodads will greatly improve your dove breast grilling experience. Not only does it keep them from falling through your grill, but the clamping really keeps the little bacon wrappings together for you until finished.
-Grill until the bacon is good and seared. When it is, your little fillet is finished inside. Flavored bacon like Hickory smoked, maple cured, etc. add to the flavor as well.
-Take them off and serve! Some people like to eat the bacon with the breast, some don't. I don't, but the bacon definitely adds to the taste and keeps the little buggers super moist.
When grilling, be careful of the bacon grease flaring up.
-OPTION- My wife likes me to add a slice of jalapeno with cream cheese to these sometimes. This is a lot more work the way I do it. First, I put on rubber gloves, then cut the jalapenos lengthwise. Under cold water, I remove all seeds and white membrane from the inside of the pepper with my hands and a small knife. Most of the "heat" is in these parts of the pepper. Then I pat dry and grill the halves to roast the peppers. This sweetens up the jalapenos a lot. About 3-5 minutes per side (I use the same broiler basket for this as well). You will get some charring of the outside skin of the pepper. Some people do not like this. It is easily removed after the pepper is cooled. You can cool under cold water and sort of blanch the pepper, and the skin should slide off. But, we find the charring adds to the taste. After roasting the peppers, I smear a generous dab of cream cheese on the inside of the pepper half, lay the breast on that and wrap the whole thing in bacon as before.
Again, this is all a lot of work for a little meat, but it is soooooo good. I really think if you have had a bad experience with dove in the past, you'll rethink it after trying this. I've served this to anyone and everyone I've met that has sworn off the little bird and have never failed to bring them back!
I decided to write this after a response I got tonight. I went dove hunting yesterday with a fella that works for me (also a friend of mine). Every year I go with him, he gives me his dove. I asked him why, and got the same old response, doesn't like the taste. Since he was going to be gone the next night (tonight), I told him, "I'll bring some over to you hot of the grill when I cook some up tomorrow just so you can see how they can taste. I'll leave them with your daughter, and when you get home you can just reheat them in the microwave."
He called me about an hour after I dropped them off. He could not believe they were dove and commented, "they taste like steak!!". Probably the best compliment was that his wife, who detests any wild game meat, could not get enough.
BON APPETIT'.
A lot of people grill dove, but I wanted to share the way I do it. I've tried a lot of different ways, but I've found this to be the best I've found so far because the breast itself actually tastes a lot like a little piece of steak. Try it and see for yourself. There is nothing secret here, other than I've borrowed techniques from others to prepare/cook them and combined them into what I think works best.
Over the years, I've encountered many people I dove hunt with who will just give me their dove because they don't like the taste. The most common complaint being that they are too "gamey". When I ask them how they've eaten it, they usually say fried with bacon. Dove is a very lean, protein rich meat, so it can be gamey and it can dry out easily.
Now, this cooking method still goes in the direction that most of you are probably familiar with. Grilling the breast wrapped in bacon. BUT, for me, the most important part of the process is in the dressing and preparation before cooking. This is what I do. It is a lot of work, but I think you'll find it very worthwhile. Maybe some of you already do the same.
-After removing the breasts from the dove, I clean under cold water, getting all the feathers (and any shot) removed.
-Next, I remove the breast meat from the breastbones and discard them (the breastbones). You will have two little breast fillets from each dove when finished. They don't look like much, and this might seem unnecessary work, but I find that these bones infuse the meat when cooking and are a big cause of the wild taste. If you desire that taste, leave them attached.
-Again, rinse the fillets under cold water.
-Put the breasts in a small container or ziploc bag and cover with milk. Let them soak in the milk, sealed, overnight in the fridge. I've tried soaking in a salt water brine overnight as well like a some other wild meats, but I find dove in particular responds better to milk.
-The next morning, remove the fillets and, again, rinse with cold water. Rinse out the container (or ziploc bag) and put the dove back in the container with a Terryaki sauce of your choice. I just use the cheapest store brand there is. Place it back in the fridge, sealed, and let it marinate until you are ready to prepare for lunch or dinner.
-When ready for grilling, heat your grill to 350-400 degrees. I prefer hard wood grilling with either hickory, cherry, apple or mesquite. It is surprising how much this really adds to the flavor. If you use gas or charcoal, damp chips on the flame will give you approximately the same flavoring.
-Mix some extremely finely diced shallots, chive or green onion into your dove and marinade; which ever you prefer.
-While you are waiting for your coals, wrap each breast in enough bacon to go around it 1.5 times and toothpick in place. If you like to grill as much as I do, I strongly suggest you invest in a cheap Stainless Steel Broiler Basket. These are the thin grill baskets you see that you open up, put vegetables, shrimp or anything else that will slip through grill grates, then clamp them inside so you can just flip the basket as you cook. These little dodads will greatly improve your dove breast grilling experience. Not only does it keep them from falling through your grill, but the clamping really keeps the little bacon wrappings together for you until finished.
-Grill until the bacon is good and seared. When it is, your little fillet is finished inside. Flavored bacon like Hickory smoked, maple cured, etc. add to the flavor as well.
-Take them off and serve! Some people like to eat the bacon with the breast, some don't. I don't, but the bacon definitely adds to the taste and keeps the little buggers super moist.
When grilling, be careful of the bacon grease flaring up.
-OPTION- My wife likes me to add a slice of jalapeno with cream cheese to these sometimes. This is a lot more work the way I do it. First, I put on rubber gloves, then cut the jalapenos lengthwise. Under cold water, I remove all seeds and white membrane from the inside of the pepper with my hands and a small knife. Most of the "heat" is in these parts of the pepper. Then I pat dry and grill the halves to roast the peppers. This sweetens up the jalapenos a lot. About 3-5 minutes per side (I use the same broiler basket for this as well). You will get some charring of the outside skin of the pepper. Some people do not like this. It is easily removed after the pepper is cooled. You can cool under cold water and sort of blanch the pepper, and the skin should slide off. But, we find the charring adds to the taste. After roasting the peppers, I smear a generous dab of cream cheese on the inside of the pepper half, lay the breast on that and wrap the whole thing in bacon as before.
Again, this is all a lot of work for a little meat, but it is soooooo good. I really think if you have had a bad experience with dove in the past, you'll rethink it after trying this. I've served this to anyone and everyone I've met that has sworn off the little bird and have never failed to bring them back!
I decided to write this after a response I got tonight. I went dove hunting yesterday with a fella that works for me (also a friend of mine). Every year I go with him, he gives me his dove. I asked him why, and got the same old response, doesn't like the taste. Since he was going to be gone the next night (tonight), I told him, "I'll bring some over to you hot of the grill when I cook some up tomorrow just so you can see how they can taste. I'll leave them with your daughter, and when you get home you can just reheat them in the microwave."
He called me about an hour after I dropped them off. He could not believe they were dove and commented, "they taste like steak!!". Probably the best compliment was that his wife, who detests any wild game meat, could not get enough.
BON APPETIT'.
