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Smoked Doves with Guajillo Sauce
5 from 12 votes

Smoked Doves with Guajillo Sauce

Consider this a master recipe for smoking small birds. Doves, pigeons, teal, snipe, rails or quail will all work with this recipe. The sauce is something I like a lot, but you can use whatever sauce you'd like.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Brine Time
12 hrs
Total Time
14 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 60 kcal
Course: Main Course, Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients

  • 16 to 20 dove or 8 pigeons or teal
  • 16 to 20 quail
  • 16 to 20 snipe
  • 16 to 20 sora rail
  • 16 to 20 pigeon
  • 16 to 20 teal
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 teaspoon Instacure No. 1 (optional)
GUAJILLO SAUCE
  • 8 dried guajillo peppers stems and seeds removed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 onion quartered, small, white
  • 5 cloves garlic unpeeled
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried, Mexican
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 to 6 hot chile such as arbol
  • salt to taste
  • lime juice to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Dissolve the salt and curing salt into the water and submerge the doves in it. Set this in the fridge for no less than 4 hours, and no more than 24 hours; I prefer 12 hours. Remove, rinse briefly and pat dry.
  2. Get your smoker going to about 170F to 200F. Use whatever wood you like, but I prefer mesquite or oak. Smoke your doves for 2 hours, with smoke going the whole time.
  3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour boiling water over the dried chiles to rehydrate them. While this is happening, char the onion and garlic in a hot, dry skillet until you get some nice blackening. Peel the garlic and put it in a blender. Roughly chop the onion and put that in there, too.
  4. Put the guajillo chiles and all the remaining ingredients into the blender and puree. Thin the sauce with some of the chile soaking water, lager beer or water. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lime.
  5. You can either paint the doves with this sauce in the last hour of cooking, or you can remove the birds from the smoked, cut then in half with kitchen shears or a knife, and then bathe them in the sauce. Serve with plenty of napkins and a bone bowl. Watch out for birdshot!

Nutrition Information

Calories 60kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 0.4g (2%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g (2%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g (3%) Cholesterol 4mg (1%) Sodium 14244mg (594%) Potassium 287mg (6%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1996IU (40%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 60

% Daily Value*

Calories 60kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 14244mg 594%
Potassium 287mg 6%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1996IU 40%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 52mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

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