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BBQ Quail, Southwest Style

It might sound hard to make this sauce if you are not in the desert Southwest, but a lot of the esoteric ingredients are available online, such as the chiltepin chiles and prickly pear syrup, or you can easily substitute for them by using a habanero or other really hot chile and some good honey. It will be a little different, but still good.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 760 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

QUAIL
  • 8 quail, backbones removed and flattened
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
BARBECUE SAUCE
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or lard
  • 1/2 onion, grated
  • 2 shots of tequila
  • 1/2 cup honey, mesquite bean syrup, or prickly pear syrup
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sage
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground dried hot chiles, or hot sauce to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the sauce first. Heat the butter or lard over medium heat, then add the grated onion and sauté until it turns translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or more. I always pour the sauce into a blender and puree it, but you can serve it chunky if you want.
  2. Flatten the quail. Remove the backbones with kitchen shears by cutting along either side of the spine. Put the quail breast side up on a cutting board and press to flatten. If you want to be fancy, carefully snip out the ribs and the curved saber bones near the wishbone. Salt the quail and toss them in the vegetable oil.
  3. Grilling. Get your grill hot, but leave an open space with no coals, or with one gas burner left off. Lay your quails, breast side up, on the cool part of the grill and cook with the grill lid down for 10 minutes. Paint the breast side with the sauce, and repeat this two more times until you've cooked the quail for 30 minutes. Check the doneness, either by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast (it should read 150°F to 155°F), or by testing where the legs meet the thighs: They should want to come apart when wiggled, but not fall apart. You might need another 10 or even 20 more minutes to get to this point, depending on how hot your barbecue is.
  4. To finish. Turn the quail over and paint the cooked side with sauce. Grill the breast side for 2 minutes with the lid up, then turn over again and paint with the sauce one more time. Cover the grill and cook for a final 2 minutes. Take off the grill and paint with sauce one more time.

Nutrition Information

Calories 760kcal (38%) Carbohydrates 38g (13%) Protein 44g (88%) Fat 49g (75%) Saturated Fat 23g (115%) Cholesterol 197mg (66%) Sodium 163mg (7%) Potassium 555mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 36g (72%) Vitamin A 913IU (18%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 9mg (50%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 760

% Daily Value*

Calories 760kcal 38%
Carbohydrates 38g 13%
Protein 44g 88%
Fat 49g 75%
Saturated Fat 23g 115%
Cholesterol 197mg 66%
Sodium 163mg 7%
Potassium 555mg 12%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 36g 72%
Vitamin A 913IU 18%
Vitamin C 15mg 17%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 9mg 50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.