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4.9 from 30 votes

Pheasant Tacos

While I use pheasant here, any white meat would work, even fish. Obvious alternatives are chicken, grouse, quail, partridges and rabbit.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Brine Time
8 hrs
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 2655 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 4 to 8 pheasant breasts, with skin
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1 quart water
  • 2 tablespoons pheasant fat, lard, clarified butter or olive oil
  • 8 to 12 corn or flour tortillas
  • Mexican cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup pickled vegetables with jalapenos, escabeche (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Stir the salt in the water to dissolve. Remove the skins from the pheasant breasts and put in a container in the fridge. Submerge the pheasant breasts in the brine and put in a container in the fridge overnight. Note that you can skip the brine, but it leaves you with less wiggle room in cooking the pheasant.
  2. The next day, briefly rinse off the pheasant and pat it dry. Salt the skins. Heat a comal or frying pan over medium-high heat and set the skins down on it, fat side first. It's helpful to put a weight over skins so they don't curl up; I use a bacon press. Fry, turning occasionally, until nice and crispy, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Heat your tortillas and keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in cloth towels.
  4. In the same pan you cooked the skin in, add the pheasant fat or lard or whatever; there should be a little fat in the pan already that came off the skins. When this is hot, sear the pheasant breast hard over high heat for about 4 minutes. Again, it's helpful to put a weight on it while cooking. Flip and repeat, this time keeping an eye on how done it is. I find this second side only needs about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Move the meat to a cutting board and let it rest. Chop the pickled vegetables so they'll work well in a tortilla. Chop the pheasant breast and the skin and make tacos. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Calories 2655kcal (133%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 313g (626%) Fat 136g (209%) Saturated Fat 38g (190%) Cholesterol 969mg (323%) Sodium 1138mg (47%) Potassium 3479mg (99%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 2994IU (60%) Vitamin C 76mg (84%) Calcium 214mg (21%) Iron 17mg (94%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 2655

% Daily Value*

Calories 2655kcal 133%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 313g 626%
Fat 136g 209%
Saturated Fat 38g 190%
Cholesterol 969mg 323%
Sodium 1138mg 47%
Potassium 3479mg 74%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 2994IU 60%
Vitamin C 76mg 84%
Calcium 214mg 21%
Iron 17mg 94%

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